At the heart of Montessori education is a deep respect for human potential. The core of Montessori philosophy and practice originated when Dr. Maria Montessori, as part of her medical school training, worked with children who had developmental delays. Dr. Montessori observed that the children needed something different, so she provided them with materials and an environment that truly supported their development. The result? The children demonstrated remarkable growth. This discovery has forever changed our understanding of learning and the human experience. A Scientific Lens on Human Nature Dr. Montessori approached children and human development as a scientist. Through her observations, she recognized that humans possess innate, universal characteristics and follow predictable patterns of development. At our core, we are a species designed to learn, to adapt, and to grow. By observing children through the lens of human development, Dr. Montessori identified specific stages of growth, which we now call the Planes of Development, and a set of Human Tendencies that drive learning and adaptation from birth to maturity. These tendencies are not random. They are evolutionary forces that guide humans to meet their needs and fulfill their potential. Education That Aligns With Nature Montessori education is structured around supporting these stages and tendencies. Instead of imposing learning, we respect and reinforce the natural unfolding of each child’s abilities. Montessori learning environments are carefully prepared to meet developmental needs, and the adult’s role shifts from teacher to someone who serves as an aide to life. This means adults serve as guides who observe, prepare, and support rather than direct. A Cosmic Perspective Montessori’s vision of human development goes beyond the individual. She saw human beings as part of a cosmic web of interrelationships. In this interconnected system, each part plays a role in maintaining balance and harmony. Humans have a special place in this system, not only because of our capacity to adapt but because of our consciousness of that very role. With this perspective, we recognize that education must also cultivate humility, wonder, and stewardship —qualities that enable us to live responsibly within this complex, interdependent world. In this context, education is not just about achieving success; it’s about supporting the growth of mature, adaptive, and aware human beings. The Power of Adaptation Humans are uniquely capable of adapting to a vast range of environments and social conditions. We have been able to move beyond survival and, in the process, have become creative, intelligent, and intentional in our adaptation. From birth, children adapt and evolve through interaction with their surroundings. Through their senses, hands, minds, and relationships, children construct themselves and their understanding of the world. Dr. Montessori identified key characteristics that support this adaptation. Humans have a long childhood, noteworthy for the development of our hands, intelligence, imagination, and social interdependence. These capacities are guided by the Human Tendencies, which not only move development forward but also shape who we become. The Human Tendencies These universal tendencies include the drive to: Orient to the environment Explore the unknown Order and make sense of the world Abstract and think symbolically Imagine possibilities Calculate and reason Work to shape and adapt the environment Repeat and strive for precision Perfect oneself through effort Communicate and associate with others These tendencies are innate, universal, lifelong, and evolutionary in nature. They cannot be eliminated, but they can be supported—or thwarted. When blocked, children will still try to meet their needs, often in less productive or more disruptive ways. Observation and the Role of Adults To truly support a child’s development, we observe with care to determine if children’s tendencies are being honored or obstructed. As Montessori-trained guides, we strive to look beneath behavior and recognize what drives it. This observational practice shifts our understanding of children and deepens our respect for their developmental process. Dr. Montessori’s work challenges traditional views of education. Instead of seeing adults as the agents of growth, Dr. Montessori emphasized that children are self-constructing beings. Education should not be about imposing knowledge but about intentionally supporting the natural process of development. Education as an Aid to Life Ultimately, we believe that education should serve as a vital component of life itself. When we align learning environments with the science of human development, supporting children’s creative process of adaptation, we open the door to profound potential. Montessori education offers not only a method but a visionary framework rooted in observation, science, and deep reverence for what it means to be human. It calls us to see children not as empty vessels, but as beings full of possibility, ready to become mature, capable, and compassionate citizens of the world. We invite you to visit our school to see how Montessori environments support the potential of our young people!

For more than a century, the work of Dr. Maria Montessori has affected the lives of countless children and families, but the ripples of her ideas and educational methods have reached far beyond that. Her work, and the work of the many Montessori guides who have carried out her methods, have influenced individuals who have gone on to change the course of history. These are just a few of the many stories that show how a Montessori education can prepare a human being to make a difference. How Montessori Has Shaped Storytelling And Literature Montessori education has a unique way of introducing children to the universe. At a time when they are already seeking answers, cosmic education introduces them to concepts and important scientific and historical information that strikes a sense of awe. This deep understanding and wonder last a lifetime. Two particular authors come to mind when considering the many who were Montessori students: Gabriel García Márquez and Anthony Doerr. “With his stories, Gabriel García Márquez has created a world of his own which is a microcosmos. In its tumultuous, bewildering, yet, graphically convincing authenticity, it reflects a continent and its human riches and poverty. Perhaps more than that: a cosmos in which the human heart and the combined forces of history, time and again, burst the bounds of chaos…” -NobelPrize.org García Márquez won the 1972 Neustadt International Prize for Literature and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982 for his novels and short stories. Author of renowned titles such as One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera, his work has been translated extensively and appreciated by readers worldwide, with many considering him one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. Not one to shy away from tackling important political and social topics, it’s clear he had a deep sense of social justice, perhaps unsurprising considering his background. He once said, “I do not believe there is a method better than Montessori for making children sensitive to the beauties of the world and awakening their curiosity regarding the secrets of life.” Anthony Doerr spoke of attending a Montessori school where his mother was a teacher. “She was always teaching us all kinds of things. I remember very clearly geologic time being one of the big lessons she taught us. She even had us take toilet paper rolls and unroll them and had us map out the various eras, like Cambrian, and figure out where humans would fit on this toilet paper timeline of the Earth. You realize, of course, that human life goes in the last square—and really goes in the last quarter of the last square. And your life can't really even fit if you draw this microscopic line down the final edge of the final square of toilet paper. I remember those lessons make you feel small. Then they make you feel—what an amazing thing we get to be on this Earth...So I think that's part of everything I work on.” Doerr’s 2014 book All the Light We Cannot See has been widely revered. Perhaps most notably, it won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It was also a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction, runner-up for the Dayton Library Peace Prize for Fiction, the 2015 Ohioana Library Association Book Award for Fiction, and was a New York Times bestseller and notable book of 2014. How Montessori Revolutionized The Way We Cook In Our Homes It is well known that Julia Child was a Montessori student. She has credited Montessori with her love of working with her hands, but one has to wonder if it didn’t perhaps inspire her in other ways as well. Child began her career in copywriting, but eventually ended up working as a research assistant for secret intelligence in Washington, D.C. She helped to develop shark repellents in order to prevent accidental detonation of underwater explosives. Her work there was valued immensely, and it was later that she turned to cooking and discovered her passion. As we all know, Child became famous for her cookbooks and television shows, making complicated French dishes more accessible to the average American home cook. One of her most endearing qualities was that she often made mistakes during filming, but her ability to embrace these errors and incorporate them as a normal part of cooking made those watching feel more at ease. How Montessori Found Its Way Into Public Service “I'm a Montessori lifer, Pre-K and all the way through. I attribute everything I've accomplished to Montessori.” One Maryland State senator credits Montessori with being a major force in the powerful work he has been able to do for his constituents. Some of the work he has done includes ending certain housing discrimination practices, prohibiting suspension and expulsion of children from pre-k through second grade, and defining race in order to protect people of color from being discriminated against based on culturally significant hairstyles. How Montessori Inspired A New Type Of Video Game Entertainment “Montessori taught me the joy of discovery,” Wright told me. “It showed you can become interested in pretty complex theories, like Pythagorean theory, say, by playing with blocks. It’s all about learning on your terms, rather than a teacher explaining stuff to you. SimCity comes right out of Montessori—if you give people this model for building cities, they will abstract from it principles of urban design.” Will Wright, creator of The Sims, is considered one of the most influential video game creators of all time. Learn more about how he credits Montessori for his success in his TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/will_wright_spore_birth_of_a_game/transcript#t-8424 How Montessori Transformed The Way We Find Information “I do think that some of the credit for the willingness to go on your own interests, you can tie that back to Montessori education.” -Sergey Brin Sergey Brin and Larry Page co-founded Google in 1998. Since then, the company that began as a search engine has foundationally changed the way humans around the world find and share information. It has expanded to cover countless areas of technology and is synonymous to many as a hub of innovation. Both Brin and Page attended Montessori schools as children, and both credit that time as hugely influential on their professional work. Hear more in this clip of Brin discussing his experiences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHzj3LrXruY With so many influential figures and important work coming straight from those who were Montessori educated and credit those successes with their education, one has to wonder: where might the next generation of Montessori alumni take us?