Maria Montessori’s life and work is the epitome of the saying, “timing is everything”. She lived in an era of pioneers in the work of human development and developments of the senses. Jean Itard and Edouardo Seguin worked to establish research based evidence of the sequence of development and how to guide proper development with the use of tailor made materials. She also lived in an era where children were commonly institutionalized, or left home alone to raise themselves while parents worked.
The combination of the inspiration from pioneers in her era and the population of children she served made for the perfect manifesto of her work. She was able to teach children who were otherwise thought to be unteachable and left to fend for themselves with the research and findings from those she chose to learn from.
What a remarkable gift we were given thanks to the perfect timing of her life!