| In 1907, Maria Montessori founded the first | | | | teaching methods to aspiring educators. |
| Montessori school in Rome. Its overall | | | | |
| purpose was to give four to seven year old | | | | In the late 1960s, some parents started to |
| children from low-income families a full-day | | | | call for the public schools in their local |
| educational program. | | | | areas to offer the Montessori education model |
| | | | for their elementary school children who had |
| The idea quickly developed and grew in | | | | graduated from private Montessori |
| popularity and thus more Montessori schools | | | | pre-schools. |
| were formed in Europe and India. It did not | | | | |
| take long for the school method to cross over | | | | The public's rush of support was given a |
| to the United States of America. | | | | boost by government funds being made |
| | | | available for new Montessori programs |
| In fact, Montessori's teaching methods | | | | starting up in public school areas. Today, |
| created great interest in the United States | | | | over one hundred U.S. school districts have |
| from 1910 through 1920. Unfortunately, | | | | some type of Montessori program. |
| Montessori's methods seem to be largely | | | | |
| forgotten in the United States until the late | | | | But just why has Montessori become so popular |
| 1950s. | | | | ? Many believe it is due to the program's |
| | | | ability to overcome three major problems that |
| It was around that time when a second | | | | the public school systems are still faced |
| Montessori movement started in America. This | | | | with. While the public school system has been |
| time, the main focus was on a set of private | | | | put into a state of upheaval, the Montessori |
| schools that served an almost entirely | | | | school systems have flourished. |
| middle-class population. | | | | |
| | | | Using their unique teaching methods, |
| The Montessori educational system struggled | | | | Montessori students have demonstrated a |
| with it's own success when it started having | | | | consistently high level of reading |
| trouble finding enough teachers. In fact, it | | | | comprehension and academic performance. In |
| took that teacher shortage to start the | | | | the book "Montessori Parents Guide", we dive |
| creation of free-standing private Montessori | | | | deeper into how a Montessori program is |
| teacher training centers. Each of these | | | | powerfully unique and sets itself aside from |
| centers were not associated with any college | | | | current teaching methods. |
| or university and taught the Montessori | | | | |