Dec 29, 2009
Maria Montessori (1870–1952) was an Italian educator and physician who founded the Montessori preschool method of teaching. She was also the first Italian woman to earn a medical degree. In 1900 Montessori pioneered teaching methods to develop sensory, motor, and intellectual skills in mentally challenged kindergarten and primary school students. Under her direction these previously "unteachable" pupils mastered basic skills such as reading and writing and were able to pass the standard education tests given to all Italian grade school students.
Montessori based her theories on her observations of standard educational practices. She felt that traditional methods—teaching by rote (repetition and memory), restraining and silencing students, and relying on reward and punishment—were detrimental to child development. In its place she developed an alternative system called "scientific...
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