The Montessori approach to education takes its name from Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator (1870-1952). Dr. Maria Montessori developed her educational philosophy upon her observations of the way children learn. She discovered that children have ‘absorbent minds’, causing them to absorb information from their environment.

Montessori’s scientific finding discovered that the children needed very little persuasion to do everyday tasks, puzzles or other interesting activities which have a direct impact in minimizing destructive behaviours. She described that young children from birth to 6 years old undergo striking physical and psychological development. She termed this as a “sensitive period”, when young children are especially attuned to acquiring knowledge from and about their environment.