2. Maria Montessori: Italian physician and educator who created the Montessori method, a child-centered
educational approach based on scientific observation of children.
Abraham Maslow: American psychologist who proposed a hierarchy of needs, suggesting that
individuals must have basic physiological and safety needs met before they can focus on higher level
needs such as self-actualization.
Frederick Froebel: German educator who is considered the father of kindergarten and developed the
concept of "gift and occupation," which emphasized play and hands-on learning experiences for young
children.
Famous theorists
3. Jean Piaget: Swiss psychologist who developed a theory of cognitive development, focusing on how
children's thinking changes as they grow and mature.
Erik Erikson: Psychoanalyst who proposed a theory of psychosocial development, outlining eight
stages that individuals go through from infancy to late adulthood.
Lev Vygotsky: Russian psychologist who emphasized the role of social interaction and cultural
experiences in cognitive development.
These theories continue to influence early childhood education and inform our understanding of
child development.
Famous theorists
4. Dr Maria Montessori was an
Italian educator and
physician who developed
the Montessori method of
education based on her
observations of children’s
natural learning abilities.
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Her method is founded on
the belief that providing a
warm and secure
environment enables
children to most easily
absorb information.
Montessori saw that
children learn best by
doing and that happy
self-motivated learners
form positive images of
themselves as confident,
successful people
She used the
classroom as an
educational laboratory
in which to observe
young children and to
try out new ideas and
techniques.
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6. Principles of Montessori
Education
• Movement and Cognition.
• Choice.
• Interest.
• Extrinsic Rewards are Avoided.
• Learning with and from Peers.
• Learning in Context.
• Teacher Ways and Child Ways.
• Order in Environment and Mind.
7. The Montessori approach is
holistic and aims to develop
the whole child.
Fundamental to the approach
is the belief that a child's early
years from birth to six are the
period when they have the
greatest capacity to learn.
Monterssori Approach
8. What was Maria Montessori theory?
Montessori believed that children have an innate
desire to learn and that they are capable of
absorbing large amounts of information if given
the opportunity.
She also believed that children should be allowed
to choose their own activities, within certain limits,
in order to foster a love of learning.
In a Montessori classroom, teachers provide a
variety of materials and activities from which
students can choose, and they are allowed to work
at their own pace.
9. Maria Montessori’s research determined that the first six years of
life are the most crucial in a child’s development. During this time,
children have an “absorbent mind” which allows them to learn and
absorb information more easily than at any other time in their lives.
Montessori education focuses on providing a rich learning
environment with plenty of opportunities for exploration and
hands-on learning.
10. • Montessori education also emphasizes the importance of
educating the whole child.
• In addition to academic skills, Montessori classrooms focus on
developing social and emotional skills, as well as promoting
creativity and independence.
• This approach helps children learn how to work cooperatively
and think for themselves, which are essential skills for success
in both school and life.