A basic idea of the Montessori philosophy is that carried unseen within each human is the person that child can become. The child's world is full of sights and sounds which at first appear chaotic. Among its features is an ordered arrangement of learning materials in a non-competitive atmosphere. Dr. Montessori recognized that self-motivation is the only valid impulse to learning.
Children move themselves toward learning.
The teacher prepares the environment, programs the activities, functions as the reference person and exemplar, and offers the child stimulation. But it is the child who learns, motivated through the work itself. This is the core of Montessori's educational philosophy. Habits of concentration, determination, and thoroughness established in early childhood produce a confident and competent learner in later years. The Montessori classroom provides a stage for the social maturation of the child, as well.