Maria Montessori

The ancient saying, "There is nothing in the intellect which was not first in some way in the senses," and senses being…

— Maria Montessori

No one can be free unless he is independent. Therefore, the first active manifestations of the child's individual liberty must be so…

— Maria Montessori

The real preparation for education is a study of one's self. The training of the teacher...is something far more than a learning…

— Maria Montessori

The first aim of the prepared environment is, as far as it is possible, to render the growing child independent of the…

— Maria Montessori

The child is endowed with unknown powers, which can guide us to a radiant future. If what we really want is a…

— Maria Montessori

Independence is not a static condition; it is a continuous conquest, and in order to reach not only freedom, but also strength,…

— Maria Montessori

If intelligence is the triumph of life, the spoken word is the marvellous means by which this intelligence is manifested.

— Maria Montessori

Knowing what we must do is neither fundamental nor difficult, but to comprehend which presumptions and vain prejudices we must rid ourselves…

— Maria Montessori

If education is always to be conceived along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to…

— Maria Montessori

The objects in our system are instead a help to the child himself, he chooses what he wants for his own use,…

— Maria Montessori

“Even so those who teach little children too often have the idea that they are educating babies and seek to place themselves…

— Maria Montessori

The chief symptom of adolescence is a state of expectation, a tendency towards creative work, and a need for the strengthening of…

— Maria Montessori

When mental development is under discussion, there are many who say, 'How does movement come into it? We are talking about the…

— Maria Montessori

If an educational act is to be efficacious, it will be only that one which tends to help toward the complete unfolding…

— Maria Montessori

In the vivid description of the Gospel, it would seem that we must help the Christ hidden in every poor man, in…

— Maria Montessori

“We give the name scientist to the type of man who has felt experiment to be a means guiding him to search…

— Maria Montessori

Except when he has regressive tendencies, the child's nature is to aim directly and energetically at functional independence.

— Maria Montessori

Man is capable of every great heroism; it was man who found a means of conquering the formidable obstacles of his environment,…

— Maria Montessori

Watch the unending activity of the flowing stream or the growing tree. See the breakers of the ocean, the unceasing movements of…

— Maria Montessori

Rewards and punishments, to speak frankly, are the desk of the soul, that is, a means of enslaving a child's spirit, and…

— Maria Montessori

Moral Education is the source of that spiritual equilibrium on which everything else depends and which may be compared to that physical…

— Maria Montessori

How does he achieve this independence? He does it by means of a continuous activity. How does he become free? By means…

— Maria Montessori

To confer the gift of drawing, we must create an eye that sees, a hand that obeys, a soul that feels; and…

— Maria Montessori

It is fortunate, I think, that nature is not bounded by human reason and by laboratory work and experimentation, for by the…

— Maria Montessori

Many people must have noticed the intense attention given by children to the conversation of grown-ups when they cannot possibly be understanding…

— Maria Montessori

If we really want children to grow into independent and resourceful adults, we should stop pouring their milk as soon as they…

— Maria Montessori

An educational method that shall have liberty as its basis must intervene to help the child to a conquest of liberty. That…

— Maria Montessori

The aim of education should not be to teach how to use human energies to improve the environment, for we are finally…

— Maria Montessori

The teacher's task is not a small easy one! She has to prepare a huge amount of knowledge to satisfy the child's…

— Maria Montessori

This is education, understood as a help to life; an education from birth, which feeds a peaceful revolution and unites all in…

— Maria Montessori

At a given moment a child becomes interested in a piece of work, showing it by the expression of his face, by…

— Maria Montessori

One of the great problems facing men is their failure to realize the fact that a child possesses an active psychic life…

— Maria Montessori

There is a great sense of community within the Montessori classroom, where children of differing ages work together in an atmosphere of…

— Maria Montessori

An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking; it involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value…

— Maria Montessori

The undisciplined child enters into discipline by working in the company of others; not being told he is naughty.” “Discipline is, therefore,…

— Maria Montessori

It is the children between five and seven who are the word-lovers. It is they who show a predisposition toward such study.…

— Maria Montessori

My system is to be considered a system leading up, in a general way, to education. It can be followed not only…

— Maria Montessori