Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori was born in Chairaville, Italy. She was educated at the University of Rome, in 1884 she became the first female doctor in Italy.Montessori joined the staff of the psychiatric unit at the university. While working with the children she became convinced that a child that is mentally retarted is much more capable of learning than people in that time believed.

in 1901 Montessori was apointed director of The Orthophrenthic School of Rome, an asylum used to confine children with mental retardation. She supplied the children with mental motivation, significant activities, and chances to build up self esteem. She received extensive acknowledgment for her work when many of the children in the school passed the standard exams for sixth grade students of the Italian public schools

Montessori supposed that her methods would work even better on children of common aptitude. So in 1907 she started the first Montessori School. Most of the children could read and write before the age of five.

the prosperity of the first Montessori school led to the establishment of other Montessori schools and teacher training programs throughout the U.S. and Europe

Montessori died in Noordwijk,Holland in 1952