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