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THE LIFE AND LEGACYOF MARIAMONTESSORIOctober 1, 2015Daniel Clifford

The Beginning Maria Montessori was born inAugust 31, 1870 in Chiaravalle, Italy Her father, Alessandro Montessori,was 33 years old and worked as anaccountant for the Ministry ofFinance. Her mother, Renilde Stoppani, was25 years old and was well educatedfor a woman In 1873, Montessori and her familymoved to Florence and then toRome in 1875 due to Alessandro’swork. In 1876, Maria Montessori enteredinto a public elementary school onthe Via di San Nicolo da TolentinoBetween 1876 and 1882 nothing “remarkable” happened in Maria’s life

Maria’s Education In 1882, Montessori attends a boy’s secondary school called the Regia ScuolaTecnica Michelangelo Buonarroti. She studies: Italian, arithmetic, algebra,geometry, accounting, history, geography, and sciences. In 1886, Maria Montessori enrolls in a technical school, Regio Istituto TecnicoLeonardo da Vinci, with the intention of studying engineering. She doesextremely well, excelling in the math and sciences. Note: This was extremelyrare for a woman in secondary education to study or even intend to studyengineering. Most women who did go to secondary education studied theclassics with the intention of becoming teachers themselves Upon her graduation, Montessori decides to pursueMedicine. This did not go over well with her fathernor the head of school who denied her entrance. Rumor has it that Pope Leo XIII interceded onMontessori’s behalf and so in 1890, Maria starts herundergraduate work at The University of Rome. In 1892, her studies for a medical degreecommence.

University of Rome Montessori was met with extremeprejudices from both hercolleagues and her professors onthe simple account of her femininesexuality. Do the social implications at thetime of men and women seeing anaked body together, Maria wasforced to do her dissections ofcadavers alone and after hours. Fun fact: Maria smoked tobacco tohelp mask the smell offormaldehyde. At the end of Maria’s first year shewas recognized by the University forher academic achievements From 1894-1896, Maria studiedpediatrics and psychology. Sheworked in the pediatric consultingroom and emergency service,becoming an expert in pediatricmedicine. In 1895, she secured a hospitalposition as an assistant gainingcritical clinical experience. On July 10, 1896 Maria Montessori is awarded a Doctorate of Medicine. This makes herthe first women to graduate from the University of Rome’s School of Medicine.

Post University of Rome Maria Montessori immediatelyfound a position upon graduationat the San Giovanni Hospitalattached to the University of Rome In September of 1896, Montessoriwas selected as a delegate for Italyat the International Congress forWomen’s Rights in Berlin,Germany. In her speech to the Congress,Montessori developed a thesis forsocial reform, arguing that womenshould be entitled to equal wagesas men.(https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/equal-pay) Still an issue today!! In November of 1896 Maria isappointed as a surgical assistant atthe Santo Spirito Hospital in Rome.It is here where her work with thepoor, and particular with theirchildren began. In 1897, Montessori joined aresearch program in thepsychiatric clinic at the Universityof Rome. Montessori worked along thefamed psychiatrist, GiusseppeMontesano.

Mario Montessori – The Love Child A romantic relationship was startedwith Giusseppe Montesano, amarried Catholic man, when Mariajoined the research team. In 1898, Mario Montessori was born.His exact birthdate is unknown. Mario did not live with Maria orGiusseppe, rather with an ItalianFarmer who Montesano paid. Both parents did visit Marioregularly, but Mario did not knowthat they were his parents Mario was eventually recognized byboth parents, but didn’t know Mariawas his mother until 1914. Maria and Giusseppe nevermarried.

Psychiatric Clinic and beyond During the course of Maria’s work withthe clinic she would have to visit Rome’sAsylums for the insane seeking patients.It was during this time she encounteredsensorial deprivation for children in oneasylum. Curiosity over took Montessori andshe began to research the subjectstudying Jean-Marc Itard, who isknown for working with the “WildBoy of Aveyron” (Victor) and Itard’sstudent Edouard Seguin. Maria’s work with the asylumchildren started to receive moreprominence. Maria beganspeaking at conferences aroundthe world about her work. By 1901, Montessori leaves hermedical position and returns to theUniversity of Rome to studypsychology and philosophy In 1904, Montessori is appointed alecturer at the Pedagogic School ofThe University of Rome and alsochaired the AnthropologyDepartment, which held until 1908.

Casa dei Bambini or Children’s House It was at this time that Rome startedgrowing very rapidly. Someconstruction companies starteddoing “speculative development”but went bankrupt before thebuildings were complete. In one such instance a group ofbankers bought a series ofapartment buildings and renovatedthem dividing larger apartments intosmaller apartments for theimpoverished working families. However, with the parents workingall day the children were wreckinghavoc on the newly restoredapartments. The group of bankers thenapproached Montessori so see ifshe could provide ways ofoccupying the children to preventfurther damage. Dr. Montessori jumped at the ideaof working with “normal” children.She brought her educationalmaterials she developed whileworking with the children in theasylums. On January 6, 1907 MariaMontessori opened the first Casadei Bambini

The Beginning Lessons Due to the fact that the childrenwere from poor, impoverishedfamilies, Maria taught basichygiene and the skills to care forthemselves. This was thebeginning stages of what we nowknow as Practical Life. Montessori’s educational methodswere far from a finished work atthis point in time. In fact, Mariatook a very scientific approach ofkeen observation combined withtrial and error. Montessori put many activitiesinto the environment but only keptthose that truly engaged the child. Her end conclusion was thatchildren who were placed in anenvironment where activities weredesigned to support their naturaldevelopment had the power toeducate themselves.“I did not invent a method of education, I simply gavesome little children a chance to live” – Maria Montessori

The Montessori Boom By the fall of 1908 there were 5 Casa deiBambinis operating. 4 were in Rome and1 was in Milan. The children were making suchextraordinary progress and soon the 5year olds were reading and writing. News of this new approach spreadrapidly and educational leaders fromaround the world came to see forthemselves how she was achieving suchresults. Within a year, the Italian speaking partof Switzerland began transforming itskindergartens into Casa dei Bambinis.With that move, the new educationalapproach began world wide. By 1911, all Swiss and Italian Publicschools decide to use the MontessoriMethod as their standard system. In the summer of 1909, Dr.Montessori offered the first trainingcourse in her approach to 100students. Her notes from this training coursebecame the backbone of her firstbook titled The Montessori Methodwhich was published in 1910. By 1912, her book was translated into20 different languages and rose to#2 in the U.S. Bestseller List.

Montessori in the United States Anne George, an American womenfrom New York was one of the 100students who was taught by MariaMontessori. In 1911, she opens the firstMontessori school in Tarrytown,New York. Sam McClure, owner of theAmerican magazine, McClure’sMagazine, publishes a long articleon Maria Montessori that helps togarner even more interest in theUSA. In 1912, the Montessori AmericanCommittee is formed by AnneGeorge, Sam McClure, and Mr. andMrs. Alexander Graham Bell. By 1913, there are over 100Montessori Schools in operationand Maria Montessori herself visitsthe United States for the first time.

The Edward HardenMansion, home to the firstMontessori School in theUnited States.Anne George’s MontessoriClassroom

San Francisco’s Panama-Pacific InternationalExposition In 1915, Dr. Montessori visited theUnited States for her second andfinal time. Montessori was invited toparticipate in the World's FairPanama-Pacific InternationalExhibition in San Francisco. She set up a classroom wherespectators watched twenty-onechildren, all new to the methodbehind a glass wall for four monthsin what has become known as “TheGlass Classroom.” The only two gold medals awardedfor education went to this class, andthe education of young children wasaltered forever. After initial enthusiastic support for theMontessori Method of education,education specialists in the United Statesmade a choice to advance a differentmethod in the public schools in America.The Montessori Method thus did notspread in the USA at that time and insteaddeveloped more in Europe and other areasof the world. Some would argue that the downfall of theAmerican Education System and where itcurrently stands can be attributed to thischoice.

Pre World War II The Montessori Education modelcontinues to grow with schoolsopening in England, Germany,Spain, Argentina, Austria. In 1924, Montessori meets withMussolini who agrees that theItalian government will supportMontessori schools. In 1929 the Association MontessoriInternationale (AMI) is founded inBerlin and the first InternationalMontessori Congress is held inElsinore, Denmark. By 1931, due to the refusal ofMontessori and her teachers nopledging loyalty to Fascism, allMontessori schools in Italy areclosed. In 1931, Maria Montessori leavesItaly to live in Spain because ofMussolini. However, the Spanishcivil war forces her to move toHolland in 1936. In September of 1939 World War IIbegins. Fearing safety, Maria andMario embark on 3 month tour ofIndia that turned into 7 years.

The End Maria and Mario return to Hollandin 1946. Maria continues touring, givingspeeches and lectures. Hermessage now is on World Peace. Maria Montessori was nominatedthree times of the Nobel PeacePrize but never wins (1949, 1950,1951). Maria Montessori’s last publicspeaking engagement was inLondon in 1951 at the 9thInternational Montessori Congress On May 6, 1952, Dr. MariaMontessori dies in her friend’s,Ada Pierson, garden in Noordwijkaan Zee, Holland. She is buried in the local cemeteryin Noordwijk.

Facts and Figures Precise and accurate facts and figures are difficult to determine, as Montessori schools operate asindependent entities or as members of a patchwork of organizations. The following numbers areestimates; sources and assumptions are given below. Montessori education: U.S.worldwide schools4,000-500022,000 children 6 and under120,000 to 150,000700,000 children 6 and older35,000100,000 Education in the United States (for comparison) schools: public99,000 (including high schools)private33,000total132,000 children: pre-K (3-5 years old)8,250,000pre-K through 8th grade:public37,440,000private4,220,000 total pre-K through 841,660,000 Sources: AMI, NAMTA, AMS, MontessoriScout, and the NCES. School size was estimated at 30 6-andunder students per school, and 50 6-and-older students per elementary program. Elementaryenrollment is based on a very rough guess of 700 elementary programs. Several surveys which arecurrently underway should provide better numbers in the coming year or so.