An Italian physician & educator, known for her educational methods that children learn naturally in an environment.
The founder of first Montessori school
Maria Montessori was born in 1870 in the Italian province of Alcona. While her family was educated, they were not wealthy. She defied her father and conservative Italian society by studying science and becoming the first female physician in Italy. Dr. Montessori became an Italian physician, educator and innovator, acclaimed for her educational method that builds on the way children learn naturally. Her detailed observations of a group of children committed to her care, led her to design unique learning materials, to train others in her teaching methods, and then to open schools, first in Italy in 1907 and then in numerous other countries.
In addition to her work in early childhood education, Montessori was known as an altruistic person and championed women’s rights and child labor law reforms. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times, in 1949, 1950 and 1951.
She died in Nordwijk, Holland in 1952, but her work lives on.