ABSTRACT
Montessori is a worldwide movement associated particularly with early years education, although increasing numbers of schools are being extended to accept children beyond nursery age. The inspiration behind the movement was Maria Montessori, an Italian doctor, who turned her attention to education. She began by teaching children with special educational needs but her observations led her to believe that the methods she was developing were appropriate for all children. Maria Montessori believed that children are naturally motivated to learn and that they should be allowed to develop and learn at their own self-directed pace without adult interference. The learning environment in a Montessori school is generally very ordered, but children have a large degree of freedom to choose their own activities. Montessori outlined the learning content and the activities which are to be made available for the children. National Curriculum subjects are generally covered in Montessori schools but there is an emphasis on drawing out connections between different subject areas.
