Written by contributor Heather Bruggeman of Beauty That Moves
Montessori education is a philosophy and model created by Maria Montessori, the first woman physician in Italy, in the late 1800s. At its core, Montessori education is designed to promote peace and considers the whole child as well as the environment in its approach .
It has been a primary influence in our family’s lifestyle and educational philosophy.
We’ve heard from some readers that you are interested in Montessori philosophy as it might fit into your homeschool. And some of you were looking for a little inspiration or direction to light the way.
If you are like me, you appreciate things broken down into easy to follow steps.
In 2005, Angeline S. Lillard wrote a book called Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius, in which she discusses whether or not a century old methodology can stand up to modern day scientific research in developmental psychology. Her research led to the understanding that Dr. Montessori’s ideas were, and still are, a very effective holistic approach to educating a child.
It’s an academic way of saying that Maria Montessori knew what she was doing.
In Lillard’s book she covers Eight Principles of Montessori Education. Today we will look at those and think about how they may fit into your homeschool.