Maria Montessori was, in many ways, ahead of her time. Born in the town of Chiaravalle, in the province of Ancona, Italy, in 1870, she became the first female physician in Italy upon her graduation from medical school in 1896.

In her medical practice, her clinical observations led her to analyze how children learn, and she concluded that they build themselves from what they find in their environment. Shifting her focus from the body to the mind, she returned to the university in 1901, this time to study psychology and philosophy. In 1904, she was made a professor of anthropology at the University of Rome.

Her desire to help children was so strong, however, that in 1906 she gave up both her university chair and her medical practice to work with a group of sixty young children of working parents in the San Lorenzo, district of Rome. It was there that she founded the first Casa dei Bambini, or "Children's House," Which ultimately became the Montessori method of education. This method was based upon Montessori's scientific observations of these children's almost effortless ability to absorb knowledge from their surroundings, as well as their tireless interest in manipulating materials. Every piece of equipment, every exercise, every method Montessori developed was based on what she observed children to do "naturally," by themselves, unassisted by adults.

Dr. Maria Montessori (1870 - 1952) believed that the goal of early childhood education should be to foster a real love for knowledge by allowing a child to experience the excitement of learning by his or her own choice, and to help the child perfect all his or her natural tools for learning. The Montessori philosophy encourages children to develop and learn naturally through spontaneous, self directed activities. These activities should be set up in a beautiful environment that is inviting to the child. The Montessori technique is a unique cycle of learning designed to take advantage of the child's sensitive years between the ages of three to six. In this period of the "absorbent mind", the child who acquires foundation skills in a natural way, has the advantage of beginning his or her education without drudgery, boredom, or discouragement. The resulting gift is an enthusiasm for learning and high self esteem.

Montessori is a highly hands-on approach to learning. It encourages children to develop their observation skills by doing many types of activities. These activities include use of the five senses, kinetic movement, spatial refinement, small and large motor skill coordination, and concrete knowledge that leads to later abstraction.

Every activity has its place in the beautiful classroom setting, and is self-contained and self-correcting. The original didactic materials are specific in design, conforming to exact dimensions; each activity is designed to focus on a specific concept, and cognitive skill development.

For more information on the Montessori method please view the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obo95qqoj1U
Children's House of Oceanside Montessori school is not simply childcare.
It is early education at its finest!