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MAria montessori

1870 - 1952

Maria Montessori, was born in 1870 in a small provincial town in Italy.

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Medical doctor, graduate in philosophy, psychology and biology.  

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Her beginnings: She first researched and worked with children experiencing mental illness of the psychiatric clinic of Rome.

Her observations on these children’s need of care were fundamental to her future educational work. She also read and studied the works of 19th-century physicians and educators Jean Marc Gaspard Itard and Édouard Séguin, who greatly influenced her work. She had built materials inspired by Itard  and Seguin for the Children  of the Orthophrenic school .

The results exceeded expectations as soon these children passed successfully the Italian exams ...

IMPORTANT Dates 

1904 - 1916

1920

She was a lecturer in Anthropology at the University of Rome and during this period lead several observations in public schools in public schools.

In 1907, she inaugurated the "Casa dei Bambini", which was a real educational laboratory until the development of what is now called Montessori pedagogy.  

 

 

Her first discovery was the phenomenon of attention in children as the first step of their psychic construction and beyond the socialization of the child.

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"The first path that the child must find is concentration and the consequence of concentration is the development of social meaning”Wrote Maria MONTESSORI in her book The Absorbing Spirit of the Child.

Her second discovery was that children go through Sensitive Periods. They constitute essential moments in the process of humanization of the child.

The international course of Holland was integrated within the University of Amsterdam.

A political movement and new legislation allowed Montessori pedagogy to be implemented into public schools in Holland.

1950

1929

The first International Montessori Congress was held in Helsingör, Denmark, the year of the founding of the MAI.

1913

Maria Montessori gave a series of lectures during her tour of the Scandinavian countries. Maria Montessori was part of an Italian delegation to the UNESCO General Assembly in Florence, Italy. During her stay in Italy she received a large number of honors.

Maria Montessori received a letter from Alexander Graham Bell informing her that the Montessori Education Association of America has elected her as an honorary member and to express their appreciation for her great work for humanity.

1917

Maria Montessori received a letter from Sigmund Freud stating that he was happy to co-sign her letter requesting the foundation of a new institute.

1952

Death of Maria Montessori on May 6th in Noordwijk Ann Zee, Holland.

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