Maria Montessori began to develop her educational method at the beginning of the 20th century. In general terms, the method is a scientific pedagogy that promotes an education that positively contributes to the development of children's brains, respecting their individuality and stimulating their autonomy, self-esteem, and self-confidence.
Although the method was created in the last century, science is currently beginning to test much of the information investigated by Maria Montessori. For this reason, it is increasingly being applied to architecture for children’s educational spaces, improving the quality of children's learning and development and providing them with better tools for their future lives.
Among the skills and benefits that the method can bring to children’s development are concentration, creativity, curiosity, a sense of justice, and emotional intelligence.
The method is fairly comprehensive and therefore difficult to summarize in a single article, but a core facet worth mentioning is its ‘three pillars.’ The child, the conscious adult, and the prepared environment should always be together, connected. One doesn't work without the other. To carry out the method effectively, a conscious adult is needed who understands child development, because it makes no sense to transform the physical environment without offering the child a calm, peaceful, patient, welcoming, harmonious, and respectful emotional atmosphere (both for boys and girls and for adults).
