History

Montessori History

Montessori education dates back to 1907, when Maria Montessori opened the Casa dei Bambini, or Children’s House, in a low-income district of Rome.

Her unique philosophy sparked the interest of educators worldwide, and in the following decades Montessori schools opened throughout Europe, in North and South America, and, finally, on every continent but Antarctica.

The Montessori Method

Countless books and articles about Montessori have been published in nearly every language. Dr. Montessori first described her approach in Il Metodo della Pedagogia Scientifica applicato all’educazione infantile nelle Case dei Bambini, published in 1909. The book’s English-language version, succinctly titled The Montessori Method, was a ringing success on both sides of the Atlantic.

In 1929 Dr. Montessori established the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) to support the swell of Montessori schools, teacher education programs, and national organizations around the world.

Montessori Caught on Quickly

In the United States Montessori caught on quickly. Propelled by prominent advocates and glowing media reports. But by the 1920s the movement had fizzled, and 40 years would go by before Montessori schools would return in substantial numbers.

Our founder Kathleen Futrell was part of this renaissance led by inspired and dedicated Montessorians who established schools in the 1960s to provide extraordinary educational opportunities to American children. Since that time interest in Montessori pedagogy has continued to grow as more and more parents have seen their children thrive in the child-focused environments present in Montessori schools.

Montessori is currently the most widespread educational pedagogy in the world.