Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori changed education forever, placing the child at the centre of a world of freedom, discovery and autonomy. Her method is a fascinating journey through sensory materials, caring environments and deep respect for the unique potential of each growing mind.

‘Education begins at birth.’

Maria Montessori was one of the most revolutionary minds in the field of education. Born in 1870 in Italy, she was one of the first women to graduate in medicine, but her name has become famous for an even greater reason: she changed the way we look at children forever. Using a scientific and deeply humane approach, she developed an educational method that puts the child at the centre of the learning process, respecting the child’s time, inclinations and natural curiosity.
 
Montessori believed that every child was ‘the father of man’ and that, if placed in an appropriate environment, he or she could grow up harmoniously, freely and consciously. Her studies began with observations in the most diverse contexts – from orphanages to working-class neighbourhoods – and from these experiences an educational method based on autonomy, freedom of choice, active learning and the use of carefully designed teaching materials was born.
 
Montessori material is not just ‘nice to look at’: it is designed to stimulate the senses, invite discovery and encourage the development of intelligence, concentration and motor skills. In an environment prepared according to its principles, the child is free to explore, experiment and learn through direct experience. The adult, in this context, is not a teacher in the traditional sense, but an attentive and respectful guide who observes, supports and encourages.
 
Maria Montessori’s message is more relevant than ever: to educate is not to fill an empty mind, but to light a flame. In her writings and in her schools, a profound and respectful vision of childhood still lives on, capable of forming not only brilliant students, but free, empathetic and responsible human beings.
 
‘What the child learns must fascinate him – we must offer him great things: to begin with, let us offer him the world.’
– Maria Montessori.
 
MOOD, The Montessori Touch, is a research and story around the beauty that pervades Maria Montessori’s philosophy.