Dr. Maria Montessori was a groundbreaking Italian doctor who became the first woman in her time to achieve a medical degree. Her educational philosophy was based on her observations of children, as she began her career in psychiatry and worked with mentally challenged children. Montessori then applied her innovative learning techniques to normal children and was amazed by the results. She discovered that children between the ages of birth and six years old had a remarkable ability to learn and absorb knowledge from their surroundings without much effort. Montessori referred to this as “the Absorbent Mind,” a natural mental capacity to learn and a built-in receptivity to specific external stimuli. These highly perceptive stages are known as Sensitive Periods. For example, during one of these periods, children are more open to developing their sensory perception, while in another, they are interested in establishing order in their surroundings. In yet another, their focus is on controlling and coordinating their movements. A Montessori teacher recognizes these highly receptive stages and capitalizes on them by introducing materials and activities that are specifically designed to stimulate their intellect.

Dr. Maria Montessori coined the term “Prepared Environment” to describe the matching of appropriate materials to each stage of a child’s development. By focusing on one particular quality, the child is encouraged to work at their own optimal level in an environment where beauty and orderliness are emphasized and appreciated. The materials that Montessori designed for each sensitive period of learning were self-correcting and thus known as auto-didactic apparatus.In a Montessori classroom with a prepared environment, teachers act as trained facilitators, exercising very little overt control. Their purpose is to stimulate the child’s enthusiasm for learning and guide it without interfering with the child’s innate desire to teach themselves and become independent.