What is the Montessori Method?

A close-up image of Dr. Maria Montessori at an advanced age showing an object to a toddler. Both have their eyes on the object. Dr. Montessori is smiling gently.
A portrait of Dr. Maria Montessori taken as a young adult.

One Italian physician changed everything the world knew about children in the early 20th century.

Dr. Maria Montessori, in middle age, wearing a black dress, seated at a desk, smiling slightly, reading a stack of books in sunlight.
Dr. Maria Montessori, in India, at an advanced age, seated in a chair beside dancer Rukmini Arundale. Behind them are Mario Montessori and George Arundale. The four are celebrating Dr. Montessori's birthday.
Dr. Maria Montessori in middle age, seated beside a young child at a child-sized table. Both are dressed formally. The child is holding a wooden circle and tracing the edge of it with her fingers. There are additional shapes on the table.

  • Maria Montessori graduated from the University of Rome as a medical doctor with expertise in pediatrics in 1896. A medical degree was a highly unusual accomplishment for a woman at that time.

  • Dr. Montessori worked with and studied children experiencing cognitive delay, illness, and disability. She gained international renown as an advocate for women's rights and for education for children with learning difficulties.

  • Dr. Montessori opened the first Casa dei Bambini (Children’s House) in an impoverished neighborhood in Rome. The surprising outcomes of her pedagogical method resulted in a second Casa in 1907, and three more in 1908. By 1909, the method had spread to Switzerland.

  • By 1909, Dr. Montessori's work had been published internationally and she had offered her inaugural teacher training program. By 1911, Montessori education had been officially adopted in public schools in Italy and Switzerland and was planned for the UK. By 1912, Montessori schools had opened across Western Europe, and were planned for Argentina, Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Switzerland, Syria, the US and New Zealand. In 1913 the first International Training Course was held in Rome. Dr. Montessori's work was widely translated and published during this period.

  • While living in Spain, Dr. Montessori developed an application of the method for the elementary years, six to twelve. She traveled throughout Europe, educating educators. In 1929, she and her son, Mario Montessori, founded the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), to maintain and develop her pedagogy with the purpose of making it available to as many children as possible worldwide. As the European political climate worsened, Dr. Montessori became increasingly vocal about the role of education in creating peace. From 1930 onward, Dr. Montessori and the then-Fascist Italian government were in conflict.

  • Dr. Montessori was exiled in India throughout World War II. While there, she continued to work, study, and write. During this time, she formalized the method for the elementary years, and she began her studies of the first three years of life.

  • In her final six years, Dr. Montessori traveled Europe and India, opening training centers and training trainers. In Sanremo, Italy, she opened the first Assistants to Infancy training center, where the method for Birth to 3 Years was taught. She helped to create the UNESCO Institute for Education. Among her many honors, Dr. Montessori was awarded the French Legion of Honor and Officer of the Dutch Order of Orange Nassau. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1949, 1950, and 1951. Dr. Montessori worked for the education and dignity of children until the day of her death, May 6, 1952.

Dr. Maria Montessori, wearing a black dress, seated, with her hands in her lap.

“This is education, understood as a help to life; an education from birth, which feeds a peaceful revolution and unites all in a common aim, attracting them as to a single centre. Mothers, fathers, politicians: all must combine in their respect and help for this delicate work of formation, which the little child carries on in the depth of a profound psychological mystery, under the tutelage of an inner guide. This is the bright new hope for mankind.”


— Dr. Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

Learn more

Every aspect of Dr. Montessori’s revolutionary method is based on scientific observation of children.

It’s fair to say Dr. Montessori’s work changed the way the world perceives the child.

This video is part of a documentary film, INSIDE MONTESSORI. To learn more visit http://insidemontessori.org

The following description of the Montessori method has been provided by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI).

“The adult, the child, and the environment are a trinity. They should be considered as one.”

—Dr. Maria Montessori, The London Lectures

Montessori education is based on the premise that children have an innate ability to learn and that, when supported by an appropriate environment and educator, they are guided through their developmental needs to reach their full potential.

The key features of all Montessori programs are the Prepared Adult and the Prepared Environment.

In these circumstances, children, young adults, and adults find what is necessary for their individual development while gaining real life experiences of what it means to live a fulfilled life in the company of others; of what it means to exercise freedom of choice while also taking responsibility for the impact of their actions on the well-being of the community they live in and the earth that they live on.

A pink Penrose triangle, each side of which is labeled. The labels are, "The Child," "The Prepared Environment," and "The Prepared Adult."

  • A Montessori classroom typically has a trained Montessori teacher supported by a Montessori assistant.

    Montessori teachers typically have a normal teacher qualification as well as an additional Montessori specific training. The teacher is a guide or facilitator whose task it is to support the young child in his or her process of self-development. They are foremost an observer, unobtrusively yet carefully monitoring each child’s development, recognizing and interpreting each child’s needs.

    The teacher provides a link between the child and the prepared environment, introducing the child to each piece of equipment when he or she is ready in a precise, clear and enticing way. The most important attribute of a Montessori teacher is their love and respect for each child’s total being.

    The Montessori assistant’s role is to support the teacher and promote peace and order in the classroom. They value and respect the uniqueness of each child while consistently nurturing and modeling a love of learning. The assistant is a keen observer and is knowledgeable about developmentally appropriate behavior and practices and supports the individual needs and interests of the children.

  • Montessori educational environments are carefully prepared for child-centered learning. The Montessori environment:

    Is organized to support the developmental characteristics and interests of a mixed age group within an identified range;

    Promotes lively and purposeful engagement in both indoor and outdoor settings;

    Can be adapted to any culture or setting; and,

    Thrives through the trained adult’s careful observation of both universal and individual needs as revealed by each unique learner.

    The visible environment includes accessible furniture, a variety of work spaces, and scientifically designed materials displayed for free choice of activity. These materials support concrete exploration which leads to both practical skills and abstract knowledge. Such exploration is initiated through minimalist lessons offered by the trained Montessori teacher, followed by hands-on, self-directed, and self-correcting learning which can be individual, collaborative, or peer-to-peer.

    The absence of an imposed daily schedule and incorporation of logical limits to activity create an environment that supports independence, confidence, self-discipline, mutual respect, social connection, and stewardship of the environment. The outcome is a vibrant learning community, characterized by positive behavioral, moral, and emotional development as well as solid cognitive achievements.

Lifelong learning

To learn more about the Montessori Method and the history of Dr. Maria Montessori, the scientist, educator, and peaceful revolutionary, explore this reading list.

Each link leads to a list of libraries where the book is available, as well as online booksellers who carry the title.

About Dr. Montessori