The Purpose of Montessori Education
Dr. Maria Montessori believed that no human being is educated by another person. He must do it
himself or it will never be done. A truly educated individual continues learning long after the hours and
years he spends in the classroom because he is motivated from within by a natural curiosity and love
for knowledge. Dr. Montessori felt, therefore, that the goal of early childhood education should not be
to fill the child with facts from a pre-selected course of
studies, but rather to cultivate his own natural desire to learn.
In the Montessori classroom this objective is approached in two ways: first, by allowing each child to experience the excitement of learning by his own choice rather than by
being forced; and second, by helping him to perfect all his natural tools for learning, so that his ability will be at a maximum in future learning situations. The Montessori
materials have this dual long-range purpose in addition to their immediate purpose of giving specific information to the child.
Dr. Maria Montessori believed that no human being is educated by another person. He must do it
himself or it will never be done. A truly educated individual continues learning long after the hours and
years he spends in the classroom because he is motivated from within by a natural curiosity and love
for knowledge. Dr. Montessori felt, therefore, that the goal of early childhood education should not be
to fill the child with facts from a pre-selected course of
studies, but rather to cultivate his own natural desire to learn.
In the Montessori classroom this objective is approached in two ways: first, by allowing each child to experience the excitement of learning by his own choice rather than by
being forced; and second, by helping him to perfect all his natural tools for learning, so that his ability will be at a maximum in future learning situations. The Montessori
materials have this dual long-range purpose in addition to their immediate purpose of giving specific information to the child.