Montessori Schools

The Child as an Active Learner

Theoretical Underpinnings

Foundations of the Montessori Learning Approach

Maria Montessori was a native of Chiaravalle Italy, born in 1870 during the time when Italy was declaring its independence (Kramer, 1988). Montessori did not originally wish to go into teaching, but your life path lead her to become the founder of the Montessori schools and philosophy. Montessori refused to assume traditional women's roles. Her independent spirit is reflected in her teaching methods which emphasizes independence, freedom within limits, and respect for the child's own natural psychological development. This research will explore the underpinnings of the Montessori approach and its relation to other learning theories.

There many schools that claim to be Montessori schools, but unless they have at least five basic elements, they are not true Montessori schools. These five elements are:

• mixed age classrooms, with classrooms for children ages 2-1/2 to...
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