Maria Montessori In Celebration of the One Hundredth

Maria Montessori In Celebration of the One Hundredth Anniversary of the First Montessori School 1907 -2007 © Carol J. Fox, 2006

First Montessori School The first Montessori School was opened on January 6, 1907 in a poor part of Rome, Italy, called San Lorenzo. Its first directress was Dr. Maria Montessori. Dr. Montessori had already been successful in helping homeless and disabled children. She taught some of them to read and pass state tests. She thought that all children could learn better using her methods. 2

Opening Day at Casa dei Bambini Rome, 1907 Dr. Montessori gave a speech to the people who gathered for the opening day. The children, however, were terrified of the crowd, of the new school, and by the excitement. They were supposed to give a military salute at the ceremony. But the frightened children could not move or speak. Opening Day Ceremony in the Courtyard 3

Children’s House Fifty preschool children went through this doorway into the courtyard of the first Casa dei Bambini (Children’s House) in San Lorenzo. 4 Soon they were working with the materials that Maria provided. She helped children learn about shapes, colors, and sizes. She helped them learn how to take care of their environment and serve each other meals. They, too, learned to write and read early. With her success at San Lorenzo, Maria Montessori was becoming world famous. The next pages are about her.

Early Life Maria Montessori was born in Chiaravalle, a seaport province in Ancona, Italy. Her birth day was August 31, 1870. When she was five, she and her family moved to Rome. Maria as a young woman 5 Map of Italy -Watercolor by Wendy Lewis

Early Life Maria was the only child of Alessandro and Renilde Montessori. Both of her parents were from middle class Italian families. Although they were strict parents, both loved their beautiful, bright and headstrong daughter very much. 6 Map of Italy Alessandro and Renilde Montessori met and married in 1866.

Early Life Maria loved math and science, but in the 1880 s only boys were allowed to study these subjects in special schools called technical schools. Maria knew what she wanted. She pleaded with her parents after her graduation from elementary school and, at last, they agreed to enroll her in one of these schools. 7 Maria at the time of her elementary school graduation.

Early Life Maria studied hard in technical school and did well even though the boys made fun of her. When she entered technical school, she thought she wanted to be an engineer. By the time she graduated she had decided she wanted to go to medical school to become a doctor. 8 Maria in the 1890 s

Early Life Women did not go to medical school then. However, Maria was determined to be accepted as a student. She asked people to write letters for her. She visited the school. She wrote letters herself. At last she was accepted at the University of Rome. She studied hard and, at the age of 25, she became the first female medical doctor in Italy. She became well-known in her country, but this was only the beginning. 9 Dr. Montessori’s medical school diploma from the University of Rome

Children’s Physician Maria became a pediatrician, a doctor for children. Her first job was as assistant doctor at the University of Rome Psychiatric Clinic. In her work, she visited homeless children who were often considered mentally defective. They lived in large bare rooms with nothing to encourage their development. 10

Children’s Physician Dr. Montessori wanted to help the children she saw. She thought they needed to have materials that would help them learn about their world. She observed them and took notes about things that interested them. Then she developed materials that would help them learn more. She made knobbed objects that would help them learn to hold a pencil and at the same time teach them about size and shape. She made a set of boxes that could be built into a tower. “The children are our teachers, ” she said. 11 Dr. Montessori’s notebook in which she wrote about her observations of children.

Teacher The children did well while Dr. Montessori worked with them. Some learned to read and write and were able to pass state tests given to normal children. People marveled at her success, but Maria thought that normal children might do even better using her methods. Soon she was given the opportunity to test her theories at the school in San Lorenzo. She was right. These children learned to write and read quickly also. Maria Montessori now had the world’s attention and many important people came to see her school in San Lorenzo. 12 Mahatma Gandhi from India was one of the famous people who came to visit Dr. Montessori’s school in San Lorenzo.

World Educator Maria knew that she wanted to know more about education. She went back to school to study philosophy and psychology. She studied the works of Jean-Marc. Gaspard Itard and Edouard Seguin who had worked with disabled children. She knew that children wanted to learn and learned everyday from their environment. People began to ask her to open schools in other cities and other countries. She went to Barcelona, Spain and to Amsterdam in the Netherlands to open schools and train teachers. 13 “The Wild Boy” called Victor was one of the children Itard and Seguin studied.

Montessori Method She wrote books about her famous methods. She came to the United States and demonstrated how her school worked at a World Exposition. She won two gold medals at the Exposition for her work in Education. 14

Montessori Method She designed methods for older children as well as preschoolers and schools were opened around the world. Famous Americans such as Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, believed her methods were revolutionary. The first Montessori school in the USA was opened in Tarrytown, New York in 1911. Another was opened in Mr. Bell’s home in Washington, D. C. Her son Mario helped her with her world’s work. 15 Maria Montessori and her son Mario in London in the 1920 s.

Teacher of Teachers Maria Montessori was now famous everywhere. She traveled worldwide to teachers. She worked and lived in India for seven years. Then, she moved to the Netherlands with her son Mario, his wife and children. She started the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) in Amsterdam in 1929. Maria Montessori was on the cover of Time magazine, February 3, 1930. 16 Left, Dr. Montessori’s study in Amsterdam is just as she left it.

Teaching Beliefs Dr. Montessori believed that: • “Movement and cognition are closely entwined and movement can enhance cognition. • Learning and well-being are improved when people have a sense of control over their lives. • People learn better when they are interested in what they are learning. • Tying extrinsic rewards to learning has a negative impact when the rewards are withdrawn. • Collaboration can be very conducive to learning. • Learning situated in meaningful contexts is often deeper and richer than learning in abstract contexts. • Teachers and parents can expect high child outcomes when they employ a high mix of both warmth and control. • Order in the environment is beneficial to children. “ – Lillard, Angeline Stoll. Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius. Pp. 29 -33. NY: Oxford Univ. Pr. 2005. 17 Maria Montessori was famous for her materials for children: the knobbed objects, the pink tower, the sandpaper letters (above), and the dressing frame (left).

Memorial Maria Montessori worked for her entire life to develop and expand an educational program that works with the child as she or he grows and learns. Maria Montessori died in the small Dutch village of Noordwijk ann Zee just outside of Amsterdam on May 6, 1952 at the age of 82. There is a memorial to her there. Many people visit it every year. 18 Maria Montessori commemorative coin for the United Nation’s International Year of the Woman 1980 Maria Montessori Memorial at Noordwijk aan Zee

Citizen of the World Maria Montessori, called by many of her protégés “Mammolina, ” was a woman ahead of her time and probably of ours. She was a revolutionary world leader in education who believed that we should teach the “whole child, ” not simply provide him or her with content information for the sake of testing. She believed that each child is different and is ready for different experiences at different times. As education moves into the digital age, we may find ways to give more children the right experiences and environments for the right time. Regardless of that, observation remains a key component in providing a proper teaching and learning atmosphere at a Montessori school. 19 Maria Montessori Hibiscus Maria Montessori Italian banknote 1990.

Today children from around the world attend Montessori schools. Even children right here at home . Maria Montessori Elementary School Rockford Public Schools Rockford, Illinois USA Sierra Montessori Academy Charter School Twin Ridges Elementary School District Auburn, California, USA Gan Ronit Preschool Menora, Israel 20 Montessori School of Tokyo Casa dei Bambini Kinderhaus Karben Kinderhaus Tokyo, Japan Innsbruck, Austria Bilingual Preschool Bad Vilbel, Denmark

Happy Birthday Montessori Schools Created by Carol Fox Library Media Specialist For Montessori Elementary School Rockford Public Schools Rockford, Illinois, USA 2006 21

Works Cited Gerstein, Mordicai. The Wild Boy. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002. Lillard, Angela Stoll. Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. Lewis, Wendy. November, 2001. Montessori Education. Freedom-in-education. co. uk. 2/12/06 <http: //www. freedom-in-education. co. uk/montessori. htm>. Montessori, Maria. The Montessori Method. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. 2002. Mooney, Carol Garhart. Theories of Childhood: An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Piaget & Vygotsky. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Pr. , 2000. Shephard, Marie Tennent. Maria Montessori: Teacher of Teachers. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner, 1996. Kelpin, Fred. Het Montessori Prentenboek. Personal website. 2/12/06 <http: //kelpin. nl/fred/prentenboek. htm>.

Photograph Credits Slide 1: (Child’s drawing) “Children’s Eyes Meeting the World”. 2003. International Montessori Preschool Vienna. 2/12/06 <http: //members. chello. at/dekleva. montessori/Photogallery. htm>. (Portrait) “Maria Montessori. ” 2000. Montessori-Vereinigung Hof e. V. 2/16/06 < http: //www. montessori-hof. de/00000094 dd 1316 d 0 f/ >. Slide 2: (Casa dei Bambini) Kelpin, Fred. “Het Montessori Prentenboek”. Personal website. 2/12/06 <http: //kelpin. nl/fred/prentenboek. htm>. Used with permission. Slide 3: (Opening Day) Kelpin, Fred. “Het Montessori Prentenboek”. Personal website. 2/12/06 <http: //kelpin. nl/fred/prentenboek. htm>. Slide 4: (Doorway) Kelpin, Fred. “Het Montessori Prentenboek”. Personal website. 2/12/06 <http: //kelpin. nl/fred/prentenboek. htm>. Used with permission. Slide 5: (Watercolor) Lewis, Wendy. November, 2001. “Montessori Education”. Freedom-in-education. co. uk. 2/12/06 <http: //www. freedom-in-education. co. uk/montessori. htm>. Used with permission.

Photograph Credits Slide 6: (Parents) Shephard, Marie Tennent. Maria Montessori: Teacher of Teachers. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner, 1996. Page 9. Slide 7: (Maria at 12) Shephard, Marie Tennent. Maria Montessori: Teacher of Teachers. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner, 1996. Page 6. Slide 8: (Maria as a young woman circa 1890) “Life of Maria Montessori”. 2005/ Dec 12 1999. De Hogeschool Edith Stein. 2/12/06 http: //www. edith. nl/telmie 2/reforped/theorym. html. Slide 9: (Diploma) Shephard, Marie Tennent. Maria Montessori: Teacher of Teachers. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner, 1996. Page 28. Slide 10: (Oval framed photo) “Montessori”. 2005. Pincushion Hill Montessori School. 2/12/06 < http: //www. pincushion. com/montessori. html >.

Photograph Credits Slide 11: (Montessori Notebook) Opera Nationale Montessori. Biblioteca. n. d. della Scuola superiore dell'economia e della finanze. 2/12/06 <http: //rivista. ssef. it/site. php? page=20050223121413244&edition= 2006 -02 -01>. Slide 12: (Mahatma Gandhi) Mahatma Gandhi. n. d. Wikipedia L’enciclopedia libbira. 2/14/06 < http: //scn. wikipedia. org/wiki/Mahatma Gandhi >. Slide 13: (The Wild Boy) Gerstein, Mordicai. The Wild Boy. NY: Farrar, 2002. Slide 14: (Book Cover) Montessori, Maria. The Montessori Method. Mineola, NY: Dover, 2002. Slide 15: (Montessori and son Mario in London, 1920 s) Course of study. 2003. The Institute for Educational Studies and the Institute for Montessori Education. 2/14/06 < http: //www. radicalmontessori. org/course. html >. Slide 16: (Portrait of M Montessori) (Montessori library) Kelpin, Fred. “Het Montessori Prentenboek”. Personal website. 2/13/06 <http: //kelpin. nl/fred/prentenboek. htm >. Used with permission.

Photograph Credits Slide 17: (Montessori pink tower, etc. ) “Montessori/Stepping Stones”. 2001 -02. Ancillae- Assumpta Academy. 2/16/06. <http: //www. ancillae. org/Programs/Montessori/ >. (Montessori dress frame) Small Button Frame. c 2002 -2003. Bambini Montessori Materials. 2/14/06. < http: //www. bambini-montessori. com/cf-bin/prod_list. cfm? Prod. Cat=1 >. Slide 18: (Memorial) “Podstawowa Szkoła Montessori”. 2/14/06 < http: //www. montessori. pl/cmentarz. htm >. (Montessori Commemorative Coin). “Coins” 2006. Monete 2000 Collectionizmo. 02/28/06. < http: //www. monete 2000. it/Repubblica/repubblicaclassicasotto. htm >. Slide 19: (Montessori Hibiscus) “Maria Montessori”. n. d. Klahanie Greenhouses, Ltd. 2/12/06. <http: //www. klahanie. ca/hibiscus_Maria_Montessori. htm >. (Montessori lire)” Vecchie bankonote Italiane” n. d. Simon E. Rossi. (Personal website). 02/028/06 < http: //www. simonerossi. it/vecchie_lire/banconote_italiane/ >.

Photograph Credits Slide 20: ( Horses logo) “Maria Montessori Elementary School”. 2006. Rockford Public Schools. Rockford, IL. 02/06/06. < http: //webs. rps 205. com/schools/montessori/home. html >. (Pines logo) “Sierra Montessori Academy”. n. d. Sierra Montessori Academy Charter School, Twin Ridges Elementary School District, Auburn, Ca. 02/06/06 < http: //www. sierramontessori. org/index. htm >. (Lower logos left to right) (Hebrew logo) Gan Ronit Montessori Preschool. c 2001. 02/16/06 < http: //www. ganronit. co. il/gan. Ronit-About. asp >. “The Montessori School of Tokyo”. 2003. The Montessori School of Tokyo. 02/16/06. < http: //www. montessorijapan. com/ >. “Montessori-Einrichtungen Tirol. ” n. d. 02/16/06 < http: //www. montessori. at/links_montessori-einrichtungen-tirol. htm >. Kinderhaus Karben. n. d. Montessori Bilingual Preschool in Tragerverein Bad Vilbel, Denmark. 02/16/06 < http: //www. montessori-badvilbel. de/ >.