MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Running head: MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
Maria Montessori’s Philosophy of Education
Student’s name
University
Author’s note

1
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Maria Montessori: Biography and Groundwork for Montessori Education....................................3
Maria Montessori’s Philosophy of Education.................................................................................5
Background..................................................................................................................................5
Philosophy of Montessori Education...........................................................................................5
Four Planes of Child development..............................................................................................6
1st phase (0-6 years).................................................................................................................6
2nd Phase (6-12 years)..............................................................................................................7
3rd Phase (12-18 years).............................................................................................................7
4th Phase (18-24 Years)............................................................................................................8
Montessori Curriculum: Activities, Materials and Learning Environment.................................8
Montessori’s Philosophy of Education—Constructivist Framework............................................11
Montessori’s Philosophical Alignment......................................................................................11
Constructivism...........................................................................................................................11
Montessori and Constructivism.................................................................................................13
Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory......................................................................13
Lev Vygotsky’s theory..........................................................................................................14
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................14
References......................................................................................................................................16

2
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
Introduction
Philosophy of education is a branch of study that deals with the objective, aim, methods
and nature of education. It is a form of practical or applied philosophy that includes development
and proliferation of theories pertaining to education. It also aims to address the problems rise
pertaining to the practices involved in education. Educational practices, as observed over time,
varies across human societies, aligning itself with the varied manifestation of social and
individual characteristics as found in different societies and culture. Furthermore, the influence
of such practices is nonetheless profound, encompassing all possible aspects of human life as
well as knowledge (Noddings, 2018).
To understand the nature of Philosophy of Education, it is important to grasp the
academic notion and implication of the term ‘education’. Education can be defined as
transmission of knowledge and values accumulated by a society. It includes both socialization
and enculturation, modelling children’s behaviour and worldviews. In its terminological sense,
education denotes a systemic discipline that is concerned with the methods of learning and
teaching in formal environment such as schools. As contrasted to various informal learning
environments, which is usually based on some form of socialization process (i.e. education
through parent-child support, rural development projects etc.), formal education adheres to
systematic methods of educational practices and theories (O'Connor, 2016). And this systematic
method is based on different theories of educational philosophy.
Over time, philosophy of education has evolved with theories and views from several
scholars and thinkers. In ancient Greece, the tradition of educational philosophy developed with
the theories of Plato. Gradually, philosophical traditions such as scholasticism, rationalism,
pragmatisms, existentialism, critical theory and other normative philosophies have shaped the

3
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
philosophy of education. In recent times, thinkers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Dewey, Jean
Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Maria Montessori, Nel Noddings and such have furthered the tradition of
educational philosophy (Levinson et al., 2015).
Maria Montessori: Biography and Groundwork for Montessori Education
Among these thinkers, Maria Montessori had propounded a novel philosophy of
education, focusing especially on early childhood education. Maria Montessori was an Italian
educator and thinker. She was fundamentally a physician, being the first female medical graduate
of Italy. She practiced in the field of pediatrics and neuropsychiatry along with teaching at her
alma mater medical institution, and later served as a lecturer at Pedagogic School of the
University of Rome. As she served as the director of the Orthophrenic School for
developmentally challenged children during 1900, she started an extensive research on early
childhood development and education. She was deeply influenced by the works of Édouard
Séguin and Jean-Marc-Gaspard, French physicians of 18th and 19th Century. They also advanced
the research on the development of capabilities of disabled children. Based on their work, Maria
Montessori conceptualized her own educational methods, which she started applying on the
children at the Orthophrenic School. Gradually, she started receiving striking results pertaining
to children’s development, and she started to spread her research findings on child development
and education all over Europe. Through her speeches, she also advocated for children and
women’s rights (Bone, 2019).
Over time, as Montessori executed her educational theories on the disabled children of
the Ophrenic School, she recorded and published the results of children’s development. Further,
she expressed her desire to test her findings and teaching methods on ‘normal’ children, and was

4
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
provided the opportunity by the Italian government on 1906. She was placed in charge for the
education of 60 slum children, ranging from the age group of 1 to 6. Maria Montessori, in the
due process, established Casa de Bambini (Italian for “Children’s House”). It was a formal
school, set up in the Lorenzo District in Rome. The school was aimed for the children belonging
to low-income families and it came about on January 6th, 1907. The early 1900s saw a rapid
decrease of the Italian economy, and subsequently gave rise to massive bankruptcies and ghetto
districts. Lorenzo district was one of such ghettos, where children’s education was often
neglected as their parents left to earn bread for their families, and children ran amok at homes
without any adult supervision. In such an environment, Maria Montessori introduced her
teaching methods and materials to those children, who were otherwise accustomed to run wild
and damaging properties (Cascella, 2015).
Maria focused on providing those children with age-appropriate activities and learning
materials. Moreover, she tried to put them in a learning-friendly environment only to document
their progress in development. She remarked from the said observation that children, if placed in
an appropriate environment that support their natural development, would show signs of
capability of educating themselves. Following her success in the initial Casa dei Bambini, her
teaching endeavour expanded all over Italy, followed by the establishment of Montessori schools
all across Europe and USA. Maria Montessori passed away on 6th May, 1953. However, her
legacy still continues to this day as her educational practices and methods are followed by
numerous schools all over the world (Bone, 2019).

5
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
Maria Montessori’s Philosophy of Education
Background
The Montessori methods of teaching and learning indicated a paradigm shift from the
traditional teacher patterns and practices. Prior to the expansion and popularization of Maria
Montessori’s teaching methods, teachers, or more specifically, ‘educators’ were considered to be
the container of knowledge, which she/he will impart to students. It was rather a one-dimensional
approach, where knowledge and skill were supposed to be imbibed in a child through the active
guidance of a teacher. However, Maria Montessori strongly opposed the idea, and initiated a
child-centric approach. She maintained that children should be guided by their own sense of
inquisitiveness and preferences. In that sense, Montessori education strictly adhered to the model
of human development, which encouraged the natural growth of a child (Gustafsson, 2018).
Philosophy of Montessori Education
The central philosophy of Montessori education holds that children are naturally eager to
learn and gather knowledge, while they are also capable to initiate the process of learning if put
in a supportive environment. Maria Montessori firmly believed that education should enable a
person to deal with each and every aspect of life, while developing the child’s skill to deal with
the same (Martin, 2017).
More precisely, Maria Montessori’s philosophy of education maintains that children have
a natural ability to learn, given they are placed in an appropriate learning-friendly environment
and supported by adequate learning resources. At the core of Montessori education underlies the
notion of self-identity and self-sufficiency, which maintains that every child is essentially guided
by his/her own desire for obtaining knowledge. The Montessori philosophy holds that a child

6
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
creates his/her own sense of identity or ‘self’ through interacting with his/her environment.
Instead of directed or being told, this sense of self-identity can be far effectively initiated among
children by encouraging them to engage in activities on their own. Further, they can achieve the
required self-sufficiency by pursuing their innate path of physical and psychological
development (Pound, 2017). If they stick to their own path of development, nevertheless being
guided and encouraged in the due process, they could achieve self-sufficiency and self-efficacy
instead following an imposed design.
Four Planes of Child development
In order to facilitate the intended appropriate learning, Montessori philosophy has
recognized four distinct phases or planes of children development. According to Maria
Montessori’s observation, it is claimed that human development has four distinct phases,
extending from birth to 6 years, from 6 to 12 years, from 12 years to 18 years and from 18 years
to 24 years. Maria Montessori maintained that every phase have specific characteristics as well
as shows particular signs of development respectively. Therefore, she designed the learning
activity and materials according to those specific characteristics, as the different development
modes and educational imperatives calls for different learning models and educational
approaches suitable for respective age group (Pickering, 2017).
1st phase (0-6 years)
The first phase, i.e. from birth to 6 years phase. According to Maria Montessori,
manifests striking developmental changes, both physical and psychological. At this stage, the
child is observed to be a concrete sensorial explorer and learner. He or she is eager to engage in
development work for self-construction and functional independence, which gradually culminate
to the aforementioned qualities of self-identity and self-efficacy. Montessori introduced several

7
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
characteristics of this phase, describing the phase as ‘sensitive period’, where a child learns
through assimilating sensorial stimuli from his/her environment with the aid of what she calls
‘absorbent mind’. Further, she observed that children achieve important development milestones
during this period, such as language acquisition (birth to 6 years), interest in small objects
( around 18 months to 3 years), Order discipline (1 to 3 years), sensory refinement (from birth to
4 years), and social behaviour (from around 36 months to 4 years). Also, children from 3 to 6
years period enter a psychological state known as ‘normalization’ arising from focus and
concentration on activities that’s spurts the children’s development. And this period of
normalization also entails characteristics such as spontaneous discipline, continuous and happy
work, social sentiments of help and sympathy for others (Pickering, 2017).
2nd Phase (6-12 years)
The second phase expands over the years 6 to 12. As physical development, a uniform
bodily growth is observed among children, whereas psychological development manifests the
sign of ‘herd instincts’ or the tendency to work in a group or socialize. Also, the ability to
imagine and reason also develops in this phase. Maria Montessori opined that the work in this
development phase should targeted to boost the formation of intellectual independence, social
organization and moral sense (Pickering, 2017).
3rd Phase (12-18 years)
The third phase extends from 12 years to 18 years, covering the period of adolescence.
This period is characterized by the distinct physical changes along with associated psychological
changes pertaining to puberty. Difficulty to concentrate and psychological instability among
children at this phase are common occurrences. Also, a sense of justice and personal dignity also
form at this stage. Maria Montessori describes the development of these tendencies as the

8
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
process of ‘valorization’, in which children tend to derive a strong sense of self-worth from the
external environment. She therefore determines the designated for this stage is to support the
construction of the adult self among children and find their places in society (Pickering, 2017).
4th Phase (18-24 Years)
The fourth and final phase of development, the period of 18 to 24 years, is not very
elaborately described by Maria Montessori, neither did she design any program for this age
group. However, she expressed her hope for the young adults at this stage would successfully
strong signs of ability to deal with the issues of life. Prepared by the vision of Montessori
education along with the lessons from their own experiences, they would grow the ability to lead
and influence the civilization (Pickering, 2017).
Montessori Curriculum: Activities, Materials and Learning Environment
According to scholars and experts of early childhood education, Montessori education is
embedded on the worldview or belief that each student will eventually arrive at his/her own
version of Truth, and this could only be achieved if they are given the scope of taking
responsibility of their own learning. As opposed to the traditional model of education, the teacher
merely takes the role of facilitator, where they simply help students to find their own way of
learning and connecting them to suitable learning activities. Hence, the curriculum of Montessori
education is also grounded in the self-learning model (Stroud, 2015). Moreover, it believes that
children learn more from their sensory experience, i.e. through touching, seeing, smelling etc.
than formal listening modes of education. Overall, the Montessori curriculum involves teaching
methods encompassing four basic objectives—sensory education, language learning, developing

9
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
mathematical ability and exercises for practical life (Lillard, 2016). And the activities and
materials are designed as per these objectives.
Every learning material and engagement in a Montessori classroom is carefully crafted to
support the various aspects of child development, specifically creating a match between the
child’s interest and the available activities. The rationale behind this design is the view that
children essentially learn through their experiences and at their own pace. Given appropriate and
exposure, a child may respond to his/her natural curiosity at any moment and initiate the process
of learning. This fundamental aspect of natural curiosity is the building block of a life-long
learning. Besides, these aspects of encouraging the natural curiosity and subjective pace indicate
another essential notion of Montessori education—respecting the children. Often times, it is
observed that parents and teachers impose tasks and activities on children pertaining to what they
feel is right or appropriate for the children. However, this may hamper the development of the
children as they would not get a chance to connect with their own interest, or compelled to learn
a different pace than their own. Hence, as Maria Montessori has herself remarked, giving the
children a little leeway to choose their interest boosts their natural ability to learn (Isaacs, 2018).
The learning materials prescribed by Maria Montessori are essentially tangible and were
scientifically designed with the focus on children’s natural ability and interests based on their
respective age group. These materials, as opined by Maria Montessori herself, allows the
children to explore and investigate in an independent way. Consequently, these materials also
help to develop concentration and encourage the children to be responsible for their own
learning. Thus, these learning materials serves the fundamental principle of Montessori
Philosophy—promoting self-identity and self-independence among children. Moreover, these

10
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
learning materials are essentially didactic. They are designed to boost children’s sensory
experience as well as are self-correcting, so that students can also learns from their mistakes.
They are aesthetically pleasing and organized (Lillard, 2016).
To facilitate the aforementioned teaching methods, Montessori education involves
independent children activity in a guided environment. The aim of the education is to nurture
fundamental human characteristics, aligned with the specific characteristics and personalities of
children belonging to different age groups. The function of the guided or controlled environment
is to allow and support the children to develop their natural abilities. The environment should
involve certain characteristics, such as:
i) Design of the environment in proportion of the children’s interest and their abilities
ii) An arrangement that facilitates independence and freedom of movement
iii) Harmony, order and aesthetics
iv) Connectedness with Nature
v) Relevance of teaching materials that supports the children’s development (Carey &
Jones, 2016)
Following the fundamental framework, Montessori education practices were categorized into
distinct categories, i.e. Infant and Toddler Programs; Preschool and Kindergarten;
Elementary Classrooms; Middle School and High School. However, the main elements of
Montessori education are as the following (Gustafsson, 2018):
i) Connection between children and family
ii) Mixed age group classes

11
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
iii) Uninterrupted classroom hours
iv) Educators acting as guides or facilitators
v) Learning through Nature
vi) Supporting children’s ability and interests
vii) Virtue education
Montessori’s Philosophy of Education—Constructivist Framework
Montessori’s Philosophical Alignment
The central theme of Montessori’s philosophy is the natural capability and eagerness of
children to initiate learning in a supportive environment. According to Maria Montessori, during
the different stages of human development, children possess different psychological
characteristics that enable them to obtain knowledge from external sources through sensory
perception and internally through reflection and self-assessment (Lillard, 2016). In the first three
stages of development, children usually manifest the signs of possessing a rational mind and
humanistic mind, through which they enhance both their physical development and
psychological development. Hence, at this stage, as Dr. Montessori suggested, every educator
should follow the children’s individual and capability, thus respecting the child above all.
Further, when the child enters his/her early adulthood, i.e. the age group of 18-24, he/she possess
a specialist mind, through which he/she can engage in self-assessment and find his/her self-worth
and place in the society (Stroud, 2015).
Constructivism
This framework, when closely reviewed, tends to follow a constructivist approach.
Constructivism is a particular pedagogical theory that aims to explain human ability of acquiring

12
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
knowledge as well as learning from them. Originally, the core idea of constructivism is rooted in
epistemology, emphasizing the source and nature of knowledge as acquired by the human
beings. According to constructivism, human beings construct meaning or implications actively
based on prior knowledge or experience in the course of gathering knowledge. Therefore,
learning is essentially the process of constructing meaning out of prior knowledge. Furthermore,
this construction of meaning is nonetheless guided by the students’ cultural and social
environment. In this sense, human development is largely dependent on its social and cultural
environment, as it has to be socially situated and constructed through the interaction with others
(Amineh & Asl, 2015). This pedagogical framework not only acknowledges the complexity and
unique abilities of the learner, it also facilitates to encourage, reward and utilize these different
abilities of the learners as an essential part of learning process. Furthermore, constructivism
argues that the responsibility of learning should rest solely on the learner, so that his/ her active
engagement and enthusiasm are ensured in the process. According to Von Glasersfeld (as cited
by Kwan & Wong, 2015), motivation for learning is solely dependent on the learners’ confidence
on their potential of learning, and this self-confidence and belief are derived from the first-hand
experience of problem-solving and sense of achievement. However, the role of the instructor is
that of a facilitator rather than a director or lecturer, where they will refrain from adopting a
didactic approach of imparting information to students. Instead, they will support and guide the
students through the course of learning so that they can form their understanding about the
subject matter. Thus, the entire framework of constructivist pedagogy aligns essentially with a
learner-centric approach (Henson, 2015).

13
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
Montessori and Constructivism
A closer review of the constructivist pedagogy reveals that Dr. Maria Montessori’s
philosophy of education was directly influenced by constructivism. This notion was notably
fortified by Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development theory. Cognitive development of human
beings can be described as the emergence ability to cognize and understand consciously as well
as articulating the understanding. It encompasses several neuropsychological aspects such as
information processing, perceptual skill, language learning, conceptual resources etc. (Lillard,
2016).
The central tenet of the constructivist approach holds that there is a fundamental
difference between how children process their waking experience and how an adult does the
same (Henson, 2015). The reason behind this difference is the difference of cognitive stages of
the child and the adult respectively. There are several thinkers of educational philosophy with
whom the core philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori could be aligned. However, the most notable
similarities are found in Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky’s theories.
Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory
Jean Piaget, in his theory of cognitive development, further suggests four different stages
of cognitive development. They are the sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and
formal operational period. According to Piaget, transition from one phase to another occurs over
time, demarcating one particular age group from another. To elucidate, Piaget holds that each
age group manifest specific characteristics and abilities pertaining to cognitive development.
From birth to 24 months is the period of sensorimotor phase, which includes the development of
reflexive learning, assimilation, accommodation, investigative instincts and concentration, object

14
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
permanence, variation of action and symbolic thought process. The phase from 2 years to 6 years
is the pre-operational stage, whereas 6years from 12 years age is the concrete operational stage.
Further, age 12 years to adulthood comprises the formal operational stage (McLeod, 2018).
Lev Vygotsky’s theory
According to Vygotsky, social learning is the most important aspect of cognitive
development. He maintains that adults play an instrumental role in children’s development, as
they can help the said development through mediation, i.e. modelling and explaining concepts. In
this process, adults can intervene the learning process of children by learning the concepts of
their respective culture and social systems. Vygotsky suggests that social learning is responsible
for the complex mental development, while the zone of proximal development contains the most
effective part of learning process. The zone of proximal development (ZPD) theory indicates that
there are certain things that a child cannot learn by himself/herself, but is possible with
intervention of an adult or MKO (More Knowledgeable Other). The pedagogy of Vygotskian
philosophy of education thus maintains that effective teaching/learning process entails providing
support to a child to learn and then, slowly removing support to enable him/her self-learn
(Veraksa & Sheridan, 2018).
Conclusion
Upon a careful detailed review of Dr. Maria Montessori’s views on pedagogical approach
and philosophy, it can be safely asserted that Montessori education provides a comprehensive as
well as effective framework for early childhood and childhood education. Nevertheless, Dr.
Montessori also provides a systematic pedagogy for middle and high school as well. And it has
been recognized by later researchers and scholars of children education as an efficient method of
learning and teaching. Several studies on Montessori programs all over the world confirm that

15
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
the elements of Montessori education positively contribute to the psychological, physical as well
as cognitive development of the children.
As a practitioner of early childhood education, my personal views of pedagogy and
philosophy of education match with that of Montessori to a certain extent. The objective of early
childhood education is to primarily providing a safe and nurturing environment where children’s
inherent ability can thrive. Also it aims to develop certain skills and abilities in children. They
include language learning, mathematical and numerical ability, physical and motor skills, art,
music as well as social values (Follari, 2015). Montessori education has provisions for all the
said objectives. Furthermore, if it is assumed that children have the natural tendency to learn in a
supportive environment under the guidance of competent adults, balancing the required
independence and attention for creating a learning environment becomes easier. Most
importantly, in my opinion, a didactic approach of teaching should be avoided as far as possible.
Rather, the interactive approach Montessori education appeals to my pedagogical preference.
` In conclusion, it can be asserted that the notion of respecting children’s unique
capabilities and interests as prescribed by Maria Montessori presents a novel approach as
opposed to the traditional didactic approaches of educational philosophy. It allows the children
to become self-sufficient and find their true calling. For this aspect, the educational philosophy
of Dr. Montessori should be celebrated, if not anything else.

16
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
References
Amineh, R. J., & Asl, H. D. (2015). Review of constructivism and social constructivism. Journal
of Social Sciences, Literature and Languages, 1(1), 9-16.
Bone, J. (2019). Maria Montessori as domestic goddess: iconic early childhood educator and
material girl. Gender and Education, 31(6), 673-687.
Carey, K., & Jones, C. (2016). The Prepared Environment Beyond Early Childhood. Montessori
Life, 28(3), 5.
Cascella, M. (2015). Maria Montessori (1870-1952): Women's emancipation, pedagogy and
extra verbal communication. Revista médica de Chile, 143(5), 658-662.
Follari, L. (2015). Foundations and best practices in early childhood education: History, theories,
and approaches to learning. Pearson Higher Education AU.
Gustafsson, C. (2018). Montessori Education. In International Handbook of Early Childhood
Education (pp. 1439-1456). Springer, Dordrecht.
Henson, K. T. (2015). Curriculum planning: Integrating multiculturalism, constructivism, and
education reform. Waveland Press.
Isaacs, B. (2018). Understanding the Montessori approach: Early years education in practice.
Routledge.
Joyce Pickering, M. A. (2017). Montessori for children with learning differences. Montessori
Life, 29(1).
Kwan, Y. W., & Wong, A. F. (2015). Effects of the constructivist learning environment on
students’ critical thinking ability: Cognitive and motivational variables as mediators.
International Journal of Educational Research, 70, 68-79.
Levinson, B. A., Gross, J. P., Hanks, C., Dadds, J. H., Kumasi, K., & Link, J. (2015). Beyond
critique: Exploring critical social theories and education. Routledge.
Lillard, A. S. (2016). Montessori: The science behind the genius. Oxford University Press.
Martin, J. R. (2017). Changing the educational landscape: Philosophy, women, and curriculum.
Routledge.
McLeod, S. (2018). Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Simply Psychology.

17
MARIA MONTESSORI’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
Noddings, N. (2018). Philosophy of education. Routledge.
O'Connor, D. J. (2016). An introduction to the philosophy of education. Routledge.
Pound, L. (2017). How Children Learn-Book 1: From Montessori to Vygosky-Educational
Theories and Approaches Made Easy (Vol. 1). Andrews UK Limited.
Stroud, N. D. (2015). Transitioning from a traditional school setting to a Montessori learning
environment. Texas Christian University.
Veraksa, N., & Sheridan, S. (Eds.). (2018). Vygotsky’s Theory in Early Childhood Education
and Research: Russian and Western Values. Routledge.