By Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952).

20 Pages | Reprinted from The Theosophist 1941, 10th reprint 1986 | Booklet | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170590302.

We all know that the age of development is the most important period of the whole life. Moral malnutrition and intoxication of the spirit are as fatal for the Soul of man as physical malnutrition is for the health of his or her body. Therefore, child-education is the most important problem of humanity.

From page 18:

” Certainly here is the key to all pedagogy: to know how to recognize the precious instinct of concentration in order to make use of it in the teaching of reading, writing and counting and, later on, of grammar, arithmetic, foreign languages, science, etc. After all, every psychologist is of the opinion that there is only one way of teaching, that of arousing in the student the deepest interest and at the same time, a constant and vivacious attention. So the whole thing resolves itself in this, to make use of those intimate and hidden forces of the child for his or her education. “

By Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952).

14 Pages | Reprinted from The Theosophist, Feb. 1942, 7th reprint 1986 | Booklet | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170590043.

We have the idea that education can help the development of the child, and that we, adult people, will give this help. That is the ordinary idea of education. This idea is not a right idea, because it concludes that the adult can help this little child very much with his or her own wisdom and care. The idea of education is to give to the child and to young people all the best that we have.

That is so: but we cannot with our efforts, create a man. That is the task of the children themselves and it is the most important side of the whole educational question: what the children themselves accomplish of their own power and not what adult man can do for them.

From page 14:

” The hope we have is a hope in a new humanity, that will come from this new education, and education that is a collaboration of man and the universe, that is a help for evolution, for the incarnation of man. “

By Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952).

297 Pages | Fifth edition 2011 | Soft cover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 9788170594307.

Every reader loves a mystery, and what more fascinating than one hidden in the ‘heart’ of the newborn child? This book touches on prenatal experience, but is mainly concerned with the growth and education of the child from birth, through the formative years, to adulthood.

The world-famous educationalist, Dr. Maria Montessori, illustrates the unique mental powers of the young child, which after no more than six years surpasses all other species. With penetrating insight, validated by close observation of child phenomena, she sheds light on the responsibility of adults to prepare the environment for the manifestation of the great potentialities and latent spiritual grandeur in the child.

From page 14:

” It is the child, who absorbs material from the world around him or her and moulds it into the man or woman of the future. To recognise this great work of the child does not mean to diminish the parent’s authority. Once they can persuade themselves not to be themselves the builders, but merely to act as collaborators in the building process, they become much better able to carry out their real duties: and then: in the light of a wider vision, their help becomes truly valuable. The child can only build well if this help is given in a suitable way. Thus, the authority of parents does not come from a dignity standing on its own feet, but it comes from the help they are able to give their children. The truly great authority and dignity of parents rests solely upon this. ”