(Maria Montessori)
She was the first woman in her country to become a doctor. She entered an all-boys technical school when she was just 13. She spoke six languages, worked with prisoners, and believed even the youngest children had powerful minds.
Once, she shocked a room full of doctors.She showed them that so-called “uneducable” children could read and write. Her ideas were so powerful that dictators tried to shut her down, but leaders like Gandhi and Roosevelt praised her. Who was this woman?
Her name was Maria Montessori. She was born in Italy in 1870. Her family was educated and encouraged her learning.Even though girls weren’t expected to study science, she insisted. She first studied engineering, then switched to medicine. People mocked her and tried to block her path, but she didn’t give up.
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Maria Montessori became the first female doctor in Italy in 1896. She focused on psychiatry and often visited asylums. There, she met children with disabilities who were locked away. She believed they deserved better. She began teaching them using hands-on materials and close observation.
She noticed that all children, not just those with challenges, learned best by doing. She opened her first school in 1907, called the “Casa dei Bambini” or “Children’s House.” There, she used small furniture, real tools, and practical activities. She let children choose their own work. It was a big success. Her ideas spread quickly around the world. She gave talks and trained teachers in Europe, India, and America.
Famous thinkers and leaders visited her schools. Even during World War II, she kept working to promote peace through education. Maria Montessori believed teaching children respect and independence could build a better world. She died in 1952, but her work lives on.Today, thousands of Montessori schools exist across the globe.
Many of her ideas, like learning through play and respecting the child’s pace, are now used everywhere. She changed how the world thinks about children. She saw the child as the builder of the future.
