Maria Montessori was born in 1870 in Chiaravalle, Italy. In 1896, she became the first female physician in Italy. Early in her career, she worked with children who had significant learning difficulties, at a time when their progress was often considered very limited.

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Instead of accepting this idea, she tried to understand how children actually learn. She studied the work of two French physicians, Jean Itard and Édouard Séguin. Itard had worked with the so-called “wild child” of Aveyron, while Séguin developed precise educational materials to help children develop through the senses and movement.

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Montessori reproduced this material and began using it with the children she worked with. By observing them, she found that children make better progress when they are placed in a suitable, structured environment with hands-on activities.

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In 1907, she opened the first Children’s House in the San Lorenzo district of Rome. She created a space designed for children: child-sized furniture, organized learning materials, freedom of movement, and activities suited to their development. She observed that children naturally became more focused, independent, and engaged in their work.

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This is how the Montessori approach was developed, based on observing children and preparing an environment that supports their natural development. Montessori dedicated the rest of her life to promoting this educational approach around the world.