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This story is the first part of a 3-part series. Check out  and .

Part I: From Italy to the World

Maria Montessori (1870-1952) might not be quite as famous as her near contemporaries Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) and Albert Einstein (1879-1955), but she has arguably had just as sizable an impact on the course of human civilization. Well into the 21st century, Montessori continues to influence how young children are taught, and biographers and scholars continue to study the education pioneer and her thinking. As with Freud and Einstein, debates continue about her relevance, her value and whether or not she has been properly understood.

Origins of a Revolutionary and Visionary

The educator and physician was born just as Italy came into its own as a single country. Biographer Rita Kramer as 鈥渟elf-confident, strong-willed, a little smug. She has the sense of duty that sometimes makes for intolerance of others. In short, a born social reformer.鈥�

These traits helped her to overcome 19th-century prejudices about women, becoming one of the first female medical students in Italy. 鈥淓ventually,鈥� she declared, 鈥渢he woman of the future will have equal rights as well as equal duties. She will have a new self-awareness and will find her true strength in an emancipated maternity. Family life as we know it may change, but it is absurd to think that feminism will destroy maternal feelings.鈥�

In 1907, Montessori founded the Casa dei Bambini for 3- to 6-year-olds in the slums of Rome鈥檚 San Lorenzo quarter. A of calls Montessori鈥檚 approach 鈥減rophetic in ways that remain uncanny,鈥� citing her decision to do away with reward and punishment, and her emphasis on self-regulation.

Influences on these breakthroughs included:

• (1712-1778), author of the treatise 鈥淓mile, or On Education,鈥� which states, 鈥淭he child鈥� wants to touch and handle everything; do not check these movements which teach him invaluable lessons.鈥�
• (1782-1852), considered to be the father of kindergarten as we know it; he introduced 鈥済ifts鈥� into the classroom鈥攃ircles, spheres and other toys designed to stimulate learning through play.
• (1812-1880), who specialized in children with intellectual disabilities; his credo was 鈥淩espect for individuality is the first test of a teacher.鈥�

Observation also shaped Montessori鈥檚 thought. She often described the epiphany she had while watching a waif in the street playing with a small piece of colored paper, completely absorbed in the scrap. This absorption (a favorite word of hers) she compared favorably to classrooms where the children are 鈥渓ike butterflies mounted on pins, are fastened each to his place, the desk, spreading the useless wings of barren and meaningless knowledge which they have acquired.鈥�

In a throwback to the one-room schoolhouse of yore, a critical aspect of Montessori鈥檚 vision was that children of different ages belong in the same classroom. 鈥淭o segregate by age,鈥� she insisted, 鈥渋s one of the cruelest and most inhumane things one can do, and this is equally true for children.鈥� (A Montessori 鈥減rimary鈥� classroom, or Children鈥檚 House, typically groups 2.5-6-year-olds together.) Students gained by learning from those older than them and by teaching those younger than them.

Lynne Lawrence, Executive Director of  (AMI), summarizes: 鈥淐hildren鈥檚 capacity to learn is multiplied because they are learning mostly from the other children. So the teacher is released into observing and then showing key things to the children, in line with what they think their interests are.鈥�

Spreading the Word

Montessori鈥檚 educational outlook arose in a period of intellectual ferment, alongside numerous competing philosophies, some of which survive to this day, including those devised by:

• John Dewey (1859-1952), who advocated for in which learning was an active rather than passive pursuit; the he founded remains active, and his ideas gave rise to
• Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), whose shaped the formation of the Waldorf Schools (named for a cigarette mogul)
• Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934), who emphasized ; this approach forms the basis of the curriculum

, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and author of , emphasizes the social context in which Montessori operated鈥攁nd how it explains one of the most misunderstood aspects of her approach. 鈥淧eople used fantasy to manipulate children,鈥� she says, citing 鈥渢he whole idea that Santa Claus would give you coal in your stocking or the Sandman would come and hurt you. Montessori was against manipulating children with threats and lies. She thought you need to be honest with children and respect them.鈥� ()

The Montessori approach grew in popularity during the early 20th century, and its influence spread to the United States with the help of magazine publisher S. S. McClure, who saw her as the savior of American education. (鈥淧eople do sometimes seem to have kind of a religious worship about her,鈥� says Lillard, 鈥渁nd that’s not to the benefit of anybody.鈥�) Quotable pronouncements boosted her fame:

鈥淓ducation must begin at birth.鈥�
鈥淭he hand is the instrument of intelligence.鈥�
鈥淭he child who concentrates is immensely happy.鈥�
鈥淚t is necessary that the child teach himself.鈥�
鈥淓ducation is the best weapon for peace.鈥�

Montessori continued to refine and redefine her ideas on education, lecturing and traveling extensively as well as quarreling with rivals and disciples alike 鈥� among them and . 鈥淪he was a genius,鈥� says Lillard, 鈥渁nd geniuses can be prickly.鈥�

Starting in late 1939, she spent seven years in India, having become involved with a spiritual movement known as theosophy. (Other prominent adherents included Lewis Carroll of Alice in Wonderland fame, the Irish poet W. B. Yeats and Wizard of Oz creator L. Frank Baum.) She died at age 81, having taken steps to secure the legacy of the educational theories and techniques that bore her name.

Institutional Legacies

Her son Mario and granddaughter Renilde were also instrumental in helping spread her ideas and keeping them focused. The establishment of namesake institutions suggests both the range of her influence as well as the somewhat circuitous paths her legacy has taken.

Based in Amsterdam, AMI administers training and certification for Montessori teachers all over the world. Its division (see sidebar) helps to spread her methods globally. 础惭滨鈥檚 U.S. affiliate is , led by Ayize Sabater (cofounder of the ). A separate organization, the (AMS), also has international members, despite its name.

Lillard says AMI is committed to keeping the pedagogy similar to what Montessori created and 鈥渃hanging it only where it really seems to make sense,鈥� whereas AMS was founded on the idea of spreading it quickly. 鈥淚f it weren’t for AMS,鈥� she says, 鈥淲e might not even have Montessori anymore.鈥�

For Lawrence, the central question is How do we go to scale without losing quality? 鈥淲e鈥檝e taken hold in over 147 countries,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat speaks for itself; it鈥檚 like a dandelion scattering seeds.鈥�

Today鈥檚 schools with Montessori in their name offer varying degrees of fidelity to Maria Montessori鈥檚 original vision. Still others offer “Montessori-inspired” curricula. , a project of National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector, collects up-to-date data on public and private Montessori schools around the world as well as the dozens of national and regional associations dedicated to carrying on this rich and complex legacy.

This story is the first part of a 3-part series. Check out  and .

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 蜜桃影视. Learn more here.