Who Is Monessori?

Dr. Maria Montessori was born in Chiaravalle, Italy on August 31, 1870, the only child of Alessandro and Renilde Montessori. At age thirteen, against the wishes of her father but with the support of her mother, she began to attend a boys' technical school. After seven years of engineering she began premed and graduated from the University of Rome Medical School in 1896; the only female to graduate from that school. She became a physician after graduation where she developed an interest in children with special needs, and for several years she worked, spoke, and wrote on their behalf.
In 1906 Montessori's life, and career changed completely when she was asked to help with unsupervised children in the desolate streets of the slums of San Lorenzo quarter of Rome. She founded the first Casa dei Bambini, or 'Children's House' on January 6, 1907. Montessori wanted to change her test ideas so she began studying fifty poor and illiterate two and six year olds. With these children she used the same tools and methods that she used with the special needs children to combine a child-centered approach to education. She was so surprised by her results that she dedicated herself completely to working for children. After her work in San Lorenzo, she concluded that "education was not so much about handing on knowledge, but that children constructed their own knowledge from experiences in the world."
Another Casa dei Bambini opened in San Lorenzo on April 7, and the third on October 18, 1908. The news of the Children's House spread rapidly around the world, and people from all over came to Rome to see the children and the teaching practices. In the 1930's the Italian government helped Dr. Montessori open up Montessori schools. However, she ordered that all Montessori schools be closed when she did not allow dictator Benito Mussolini’s demands for the children to wear fascist uniforms and to give the fascist salute.
Dr. Montessori developed the Montessori elementary program for the child from ages 6-12. She began with the required curriculum of Italy of her time. She adapted the traditional subjects that teachers taught in the arts and science so that the children could use materials to guide their own research and to follow their personal interests, allowing the students to work at an advanced level that most thought was impossible for children of this age. Based on this system the child, when allowed to work independently instead of being taught in groups led by a teacher, and in classes with a mixed age group of 6-12- year-old students inspiring and teaching each other, masters academic subjects usually not taught until middle or high school.
Dr. Montessori also developed a program for middle and high school, ages 12-15. Dr. Montessori felt that because of the rapid growth, the increased need for sleep, and hormonal changes, it is useless to try to force the adolescent to concentrate on intellectual work. She recommended an Earth school, or Erdkinder, where children would live close to nature, eat fresh farm products, and carry on practical work related to the economics of supplying food, shelter, transportation, and so forth. Intellectual work is still done, following the child's interests, but without pressure.
Dr. Montessori concluded, after over sixty years of working with children, that children can learn to read, write and calculate as easily and naturally as they learn to walk and talk. Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses. Children in Montessori classes learn at their own pace and according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of possibilities. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning.
 I believe that the Montessori method of education can be very successful, and it clearly is. There are over 4000 Montessori schools in the United States and 7000 worldwide. I think that her approach to education allows students to individualize their learning at a young age, which is very important because too often student are not being taught in a way that is applicable to their style. The Montessori schools reminded me a little bit of Summerhill because the students are able to choose their own activities. Although students choose their own activities, they are not able to make the decision if they actually want to participate, so Montessori schools have more rules per say, which can be a good thing. If more schools used the Montessori approach I believe that there would be a rapid increase in success levels for all students.

 http://www.montessori.edu/FAQ.html
http://www.montessori.edu/maria.html