Dr. Maria Montessori, Italian educator, physician, and scientist, developed the Montessori method of teaching through careful study and observation of children. In the early 1900's. She opened a childcare center in a poor inner-city district of Rome, Italy called Casa Dei Bambini or "Children's House". It was there she discovered children's interest in actively participating in their environment by preparing meals, cleaning, and working on various puzzles.

When given these opportunities, she observed calm and peaceful behaviors with long periods of concentration, and a sense of order in the classroom. She eventually developed a set of unique learning materials to help promote the understanding of abstract concepts such as math and science. These materials are still used in Montessori classrooms today and they help foster a genuine curiosity for how the world works. Dr. Montessori's success in the classroom piqued the interest of educators around the world and it has continuously increased in popularity throughout time as people come to discover this beautiful teaching methodology.