A Review of 'Doctor Maria Montessori‟s Handbook'

Abstract

Maria Tecla Artemesia Montessori was born of Alessandro Montessori and Renilde Stoppani in 1870 in the town of Chiaravalle, Italy. Both parents were well educated; Allesandro was an accountant while Renilde is described an avid reader. After her Secondary Education she was admitted to the medical school of the University of Rome in 1890, becoming the first woman to join a medical school in Italy. She qualified as a doctor in July 1896. Dr Montessori worked as a researcher at the psychiatric clinic of the University of Rome, as a volunteer in 1987, a stint that led her to develop a deep interest in the needs of children with learning disabilities. In 1901 Montessori developed her studies of educational philosophy and anthropology, and subsequently lectured and taught students at different levels and age. In 1902 she enrolled for the philosophy degree course at the University of Rome where she studied theoretical and moral philosophy, history of philosophy, and psychology, but did not graduate. She also pursued independent study in anthropology and educational philosophy, conducted observations and experimental research in elementary schools. Later on, she applied them to her Casa dei Bambini (The children's house), a novelty learning centre she established for children in 1907. By 1909, Doctor Montessori gave her first training course in her new approach to around 100 students which was followed by massive Montessori movements in Europe, India, U.S.A and later on, all over the world. She also trained, alongside his son Mario, the Indian populace on the Montessori method. In 1949 UNESCO awarded her the Nobel Peace Prize and three years on, in 1952, she passed on . As a doctor, an academic and a teacher, Montessori authored over 30 pamphlets, books and articles to communicate her ideas. The first of her literary corpus was Il Metodo della Pedagogia Scientifica applicato all'educazione infantile nelle Case dei Bambini, first published in 1909 and revised severally after that. The first English version appeared in 1912 titled „The Montessori Method: Scientific Pedagogy as Applied to Child Education in the Children's Houses’. This review, however, delves into 'Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook' (Published in 1914). The book was written in response to numerous questions posed by American teachers and parents in regard to the Montessori Method. Moreover, the purpose of the book was to recommend to teachers and learners the didactic materials needed for a Montessori class but more so, to explain how to exploit the holistic formation of the child. This review has been done after many years, in 2019, in commemoration of her first visit to England (1919) where she lectured and trained people on her method. It was from England that Montessori Philosophy got a meaningful pedestal for internationalisation.