Montessori is a philosophy with the fundamental tenet that a child learns best within a social environment which supports each individual's unique development. As the first woman physician to graduate from the University of Rome, Montessori became involved with education as a doctor treating children labeled as retarded. Then in 1907 she was invited to open a child care center for the children of desperately poor families in the San Lorenzo slums of Rome.
Children create themselves through purposeful activity.
The most important years for learning are from birth to age six. Children possess unusual sensitivity and mental powers for absorbing and learning from their environment, which includes people as well as materials. She carried her message throughout the world, including the United States as early as 1912. After an enthusiastic first response, interest in the U.S. waned until a reintroduction of the method in the mid-1950's, followed by the organization of the American Montessori Society in 1960. The primary goal of a Montessori program is to help each child reach full potential in all areas of life.