Montessori: An Education for Life

Dr. Maria Montessori (1870 - 1952) was an educator who spent more than 50 years carefully observing children, discovering how children learn best, and developing methods and materials for teaching. Her approach is child-centered. The Montessori teacher is known as a “guide.” One Montessori educator described her perspective this way:

It is the task of each child to develop himself into as complete a human being as possible. All around us children are going about this task, sincerely and energetically, every day. Nature has endowed these young children with wonderfully absorbent minds and acute sensitivities, allowing them to acquire certain kinds of knowledge and abilities more completely and easily before age six than at any time later in their lives. How successfully each child accomplishes this task in these early years has a bearing not only on the amount of knowledge and skill he will have at his command in later years, but, more importantly, the attitudes toward himself, his world, and learning that he embraces. Montessori education is based on a heart-felt respect for this task of the child, and on a careful observation of the process by which it is accomplished. What we offer is a thoughtful response to this natural unfolding so that, in each case, it can be as successful and complete as possible. Our goal for the child is the development of an attitude toward himself of confidence and esteem; toward the world, of care and respect; and toward learning, of joy and enthusiasm.

from "An Education for Life" courtesy of Peter Davidson, Montessori School of Beaverton

The Montessori classroom and guide are carefully equipped to let children develop the full range of academic, social, and personal skills they need for success in life.

Montessori methods are becoming increasingly recognized, respected, and adopted in public schools across the United States.

Montessori supporters include many famous and successful people:

People who were Montessori school students:	People who chose Montessori for their children:

Larry Page and Sergey Brin Google co-founders	Bill Clinton former President
Jeff Bezos financial analyst, Amazon.com founder	Hillary Clinton Senator, Secretary of State
Katherine Graham owner/editor WashingtonPost	John Bradshaw psychologist and author
Prince Williamand Prince Harry English royal family	Willie Nelson musician – built a Montessori school on his ranch
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, editor, former first lady (John F. Kennedy)	Stephen J. Cannell prolific TV writer- producer-director (Rockford Files and more)
Julia Child, chef, author, media personality	Susan St. James actress, activist
Anne Frank, child diarist of World War II	Patty Duke Academy Award actress,Screen Actors Guild president
Gabriel Garcia Marquez Nobel Prize - Literature	Michael Douglas Best Actor Award, Best Picture producer
T. Berry Brazelton, pediatrician, author	Yul Brynner Best Actor, musician, author
Friedensreich Hundertwasser painter and architect	Shari Lewis puppeteer, author – numerous Emmy, Peabody awards
George Clooney Academy Award actor	Yo Yo Ma accomplished cellist
Melissa Gilbert actress, writer, producer	David Blaine street magician, promoter
Joshua Bell American Stradivarius violinist	Dick Ebersol television executive
Sean “P. Diddy” Combs musician/promoter

**People with ties to Montessori education:**

Alexander Graham Bell inventor, provided financial support to Dr. Montessori. Helped establish the first Montessori class in Canada and one of the first in U.S.	President Wilson’s daughter Margaret trained Montessori teacher –there was a Montessori classroom in the White House during his presidency
Thomas Edison scientist, inventor – helped to found a Montessori school	Bruno Bettelheim psychologist/author – married to a Montessori teacher
Erik Erikson anthropologist/author – earned a Montessori teaching certificate	Jean Piaget Swiss psychologist – made his first child observations in a Montessori school
Mister Rogers children's TV personality – strong advocate of Montessori education	Alice Waters restaurateur, writer Montessori teacher

A “Montessori” school is much more than a name on a sign. Parents should be aware that Maria Montessori’s name is in the public domain. Any school can call itself a “Montessori” school. The best gauge of a good Montessori school is broad use of recognized Association Montessori International (AMI) practices and materials.

For further information about Montessori you may visit the following websites:

(360) 779-1225 3805 Sawdust Hill Rd. NE Poulsbo, WA 98370 Copyright 2022