SeattleChange
At the dawn of the twentieth century, Dr. Maria Montessori began her revolutionary work with impoverished children in Rome, Italy. As a result of Dr. Montessori's keen observation of the children as well as her background in medicine and psychology, she quickly recognized that the key formative years are those between birth and the age of six. As well, these children were considerably more: Alert, out-going, self-confident, self-disciplined, sociable, respectful of each other, respectful of their environment. When these accomplishments became known in Euope, Dr. Montessori captured that continent's attention. Today, Montessori schools flourish around the world. In the Netherlands, for example, it is a complete alternative to the public system--from preschool through to College.