Maria Montessori’s Casa dei Bambini showed that the forgotten street children of Rome in the early 1900’s were capable of learning much more than was thought possible. Their “absorbent minds” were ready for the structured, self-guided learning Montessori came to pioneer. Part of her success with these children came from providing a predictable classroom environment. She saw that they felt secure and independent in the order surrounding them.
Everything in the classroom is part of the curriculum! Child-sized, accessible, and aesthetically pleasing furniture, mats, containers, and materials should be selected with great care to meet the needs of the young, developing child.
