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Assignment: As A Lady Much Ahead of Her Time?

Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator born in 1870 who developed revolutionary theories of early childhood education. She observed children's natural tendencies to learn through exploration and self-directed activity. In 1907, she opened Casa dei Bambini, the first Montessori school, where she tested her child-centered educational methods and materials. Her approach achieved great success and popularity worldwide. Montessori believed in following children's interests to develop lessons and believed children preferred practical work over play. She is considered ahead of her time for her progressive educational philosophies that are still used in Montessori schools today.

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60 views

Assignment: As A Lady Much Ahead of Her Time?

Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator born in 1870 who developed revolutionary theories of early childhood education. She observed children's natural tendencies to learn through exploration and self-directed activity. In 1907, she opened Casa dei Bambini, the first Montessori school, where she tested her child-centered educational methods and materials. Her approach achieved great success and popularity worldwide. Montessori believed in following children's interests to develop lessons and believed children preferred practical work over play. She is considered ahead of her time for her progressive educational philosophies that are still used in Montessori schools today.

Uploaded by

AbuBakar Osman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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By: Sobia Imran Roll No.

:D16085

ASSIGNMENT
Module 1
1: Discuss the life and works of Dr. Maria Montessori and why is she referred to
as a lady much ahead of her time?

Introduction: Maria Montessori was an Italian physician. She launched the


theories of early childhood education. These theories are still implemented in
Montessori schools all over the world. Montessori was famous as one of the
world`s leading educators during her lifetime.

Birth: Maria Montessori was born on 31st August 1870 in Ancona Italy. She was
the only child of her parents.

Family: Maria Montessori belonged to an educated middle class family. Her


father`s name was Alessandro Montessori and mothers name was Ranidle
Montessori. Her father was a conservative military man but her mother was a
liberal lady. Her mother assisted her to achieve her educational goals.

Education: Maria gave a chance to get her education in big cities throughout Italy
due to her fathers frequent transfers. All the Europe was very conservative towards
the treatment of women. Maria wanted to get scientific education and she faced
opposition from her father, teachers and male fellow students. She graduated from
Medical School of the University of Rome in 1896. She holds the title of first lady
doctor in the history of Italy.

Montessori never wanted to enter in education career but she became well known
educator. As a physician , Montessori specialized in pediatrics and psychiatry. She
taught at the medical school of the University of Rome. Through its free clinics she
contacted with the children of poor families. In 1900 Montessori director of the
Orthopherenic School which was attached to the University of Rome. This school
was a municipal asylum for the special children. When she discovered that children

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By: Sobia Imran Roll No.: D16085

needed purposeful activities which can stimulate their senses ,she and her fellows
treated those children with care.

Inspiration: from 1900 to 1901, Montessori collect information from the medical
libraries about the successful work done with the education of special children.
During this time she got inspired by teo forgotten French doctors of the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries itard and seguin.

Itard work with the “wild boy of averyon” , a young boy who was found by some
hunters. He was lost as a very young child and spent many years of his life alone in
the forest. The boy couldn’t speak because he had grown up outside of human
society. Itard taught the wild boy.

His work has two important conclusions;

1- If proper stimulation and experiences are not provided during sensitive


periods of development to a child, then development may block or doesn’t
take place at all.
2- Development of handicapped children is possible.

Seguin a French psychologist who was a student of itard managed to apply his
ideas to everyday education of special children. Montessori material were also
originally designed by seguin.

From itard and seguin, she took the idea of a scientific approach to education. She
continued her work with mentally disabled patients and they passed the exam
given by Italian public schools after 2 years. She thought that if she could attain
such results with disabled children then schools should be able to get dramatically
better results with normal children.

Casa Dei Bambini: in 1907, she was offered the position of the medical director of
a day-care center. It was the first day-care center named “casa dei bambini”
(House of children). There she worked with normal children using different
methods like everyday exercises or skills. She found that children preferred work
over play. She also found that children fascinated by the numbers. Doctors spend
night after night to design materials of different areas for children.

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By: Sobia Imran Roll No. : D16085

Montessori method was not perfect since day one. She improved it by the passage
of time. Montessori’s children showed extraordinary progress. Montessori used to
say “ I followed these children , studied them closely and they taught me how to
teach them.

Worldwide Response: Casa dei Bambini became famous all over the world in a
very short time. The most incredible thing about Montessori method was that her
model center (Casa dei Bambini) . The center visited by thousands of visitors,
appreciated and got duplicated everywhere.

Achievements: Maria Montessori died in the Netherlands in 1952. But she would
always stay alive because she live as an immortal through her method. Her method
would continue to help children of all times and of all areas to be a better human
being. She lived in old days but was definitely “A WOMAN MUCH AHEAD
OF HER TIME”.

During her lifetime, she was known as one of the world’s leading educators,
invited as chief guest in educational functions. She was also nominated three times
for Noble Peace Prize. She was pictured on the Italian coins.

@**************************@

2:Which are the main requirements to be considered to start a house of


children? How do you implement them?
Montessri is a place where children can do whatever they want. There they can
meet their interest and needs. So that one has to be very considerate and particular
when start the house of children. In my opinion it is the most difficult task to start
it. There are several requirements which one should be keep in mind.

1) Problem of complexity and size: In our homes children touches everything


what they see. They broke things because they can’t handle the giant sized
things. A Montessori house of children is a child sized world

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