Maria Montessori, the first female Doctor of Medicine in Italy, looked at the education of children in a revolutionary way. Working with handicapped and economically disadvantaged children in the slums of Rome, she created classrooms and educational practices that led to a level of academic success for her students that far exceeded expectations--and matched that of more fortunate children in traditional settings.

Rather than viewing children as recipients of the knowledge that adults could "teach" them, she viewed them as having an innate motivation to learn and a unique ability to develop their own capabilities. She created beautiful materials that children could manipulate to learn basic concepts, and devised a new way of teaching, one that respected the child's pleasure in activity and desire for mastery.

Montessori's work has led to the creation of schools around the world based on her ideas. With an environment prepared with care by adults, filled with well-designed materials to manipulate and investigate, and with the guidance of teachers who respect their drive for competence, Montessori schools today reflect the work of this innovative educator while providing an education for children who live in the twenty-first century.