# **Summary Chapter 2 - 1912 - The Montessori Method** ## **Short Summary** This text discusses the history and origins of the Montessori Method, specifically focusing on the necessity of establishing a method for scientific pedagogy and the practical application of methods for the education of children with special needs. ### **Facts** * 🧪 The development of a scientific pedagogy requires a transformation of the school and the preparation of teachers who are observers familiar with experimental methods. * 🕵️‍♂️ The fundamental principle of scientific pedagogy is the liberty of the pupil, allowing for the development of individual, spontaneous manifestations of the child's nature. * 🔬 Experimental sciences, including bacteriology and anthropology, have grown through the application of specific methods, and experimental psychology also requires an exact technique for conducting experiments. * 🔄 A method of experimental psychology requires letting go of preconceived ideas and starting with a method that allows for the observation of children's spontaneous manifestations. * 👥 The study of individual children is a limited and secondary part of the science of pedagogy, which focuses on the education of the individual. * 🧒 The Montessori Method originated from experiences with both normal and abnormal children, building upon previous pedagogical experiences with children with special needs. * 👂 The methods for the education of children with special needs can be traced back to the work of Itard and Séguin, who pioneered educational efforts for the deaf and children with various morbid forms of disease. * 🌍 The methods developed by Séguin were later applied in Germany and France, but often the practical applications differed from Séguin's original system. * 📚 The author of the text conducted experiments on deficient children in Rome, following the teachings of Séguin and drawing inspiration from Itard's experiments. ## Summary: In Chapter 2 of Maria Montessori's book "The Montessori Method," she discusses the history of methods in education. Here is a summary of each section:  2\.1 The necessity of establishing the method peculiar to Scientific Pedagogy Montessori argues that to develop a scientific pedagogy, the school must be transformed alongside the preparation of the teacher. The fundamental principle of scientific pedagogy is the liberty of the pupil, allowing for the development of individual, spontaneous manifestations of the child's nature. Montessori emphasizes the importance of observation and experimentation in the school setting and criticizes the traditional methods used in pedagogy, anthropology, and experimental psychology. 2\.2 Origin of the educational system in use in the "Children's Houses" Montessori traces the origin of her educational system back to her experiences with abnormal children. She explains how her interest in the education of deficient children led her to study the methods of Edward Séguin and explore the idea of pedagogical treatment for various forms of the disease. She also mentions the establishment of the State Orthophrenic School in Rome, where she trained teachers and gained practical experience in teaching children with special needs. 2\.3 Practical application of the methods of Itard and Seguin in the Orthophrenic School at Rome Montessori describes her work at the Orthophrenic School in Rome, where she applied the methods of Edward Séguin and Jean-Marc Itard in the education of deficient children. She highlights the importance of observation and the development of educational principles that can benefit both deficient and normal children. Her experiences with teaching deficient children influenced her belief that similar methods could be applied to normal children to unlock their potential. 2\.4 Origin of the methods for the education of deficients Montessori explains that the methods for the education of deficient children originated with Itard and were further developed by Séguin. Itard focused on the education of the sense of hearing and extended his methods to all the senses. Séguin built upon Itard's work and established a comprehensive educational system for deficient children. Montessori notes that while these methods were widely discussed and referenced in publications on special education, their true application and understanding were often limited. 2\.5 Application of the Methods in Germany and France Montessori discusses her observations of the methods used in Germany and France for educating deficient children. She found that, in many cases, the methods applied to deficients were similar to those used for normal children. However, she also recognized a desire for fresh ideas and experiences among educators. Montessori highlights the importance of properly presenting didactic materials and engaging with the children on a deeper level to awaken their potential. 2\.6 Seguin’s first didactic material was spiritual Montessori explains that Séguin's initial didactic materials were focused on spiritual development. She believes that it is not just the materials themselves, but the educator's voice and attitude that can awaken children's curiosity and encourage their self-education. Montessori emphasizes the respect and love she felt for the children she worked with and the role it played in her approach to education. In this chapter, Montessori lays the foundation for her method and highlights the influences and experiences that shaped her educational philosophy. ### Original Text: [https://montessori-international.com/content/perma?id=2675](https://montessori-international.com/content/perma?id=2675)  Thai Translation [https://montessori-international.com/content/perma?id=2668](https://montessori-international.com/content/perma?id=2668)  > ##### **The License of this page:** > > This page is part of the “**Montessori Restoration and Translation Project**”.\ > Please [support](https://ko-fi.com/montessori) our “**All-Inclusive Montessori Education for All 0-100+ Worldwide**” initiative. We create open, free, and affordable resources available for everybody interested in Montessori Education. We transform people and environments to be authentic Montessori worldwide. Thank You! > > [](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) > > **License:** This work with all its restoration edits and translations is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/). > > Check out the **Page History** of each wiki page in the right column to learn more about all contributors and edits, restorations, and translations done on this page. > > [Contributions](https://ko-fi.com/montessori) and [Sponsors](https://ko-fi.com/montessori) are welcome and very appreciated! * [The Montessori Method, 2nd Edition](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/+Chapter+Index+-+The+Montessori+Method%2C+2nd+Edition+-+Restoration+-+Open+Library#the-montessori-method%2C-2nd-edition---restoration---open-library) - English Restoration - [Archive.Org](https://archive.org/details/montessorimethod00montuoft/) - [Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/books/OL7089223M/The_Montessori_method) * [Chapter Index](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/+Chapter+Index+-+The+Montessori+Method%2C+2nd+Edition+-+Restoration+-+Open+Library) * [Chapter 00 - Dedication, Acknowledgements, Preface to the American Edition, Introduction](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+00+-+Dedication%2C+Acknowledgements%2C+Preface+to+the+American+Edition%2C+Introduction) * [Chapter 01 - A critical consideration of the new pedagogy in its relation to modern science](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+01+-+A+critical+consideration+of+the+new+pedagogy+in+its+relation+to+modern+science) * [Chapter 02 - History of Methods](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+02+-+History+of+Methods) * [Chapter 03 - Inaugural address delivered on the occasion of the opening of one of the “Children’s Houses”](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+03+-+Inaugural+address+delivered+on+the+occasion+of+the+opening+of+one+of+the+%E2%80%9CChildren%E2%80%99s+Houses%E2%80%9D) * [Chapter 04 - Pedagogical Methods used in the “Children’s Houses”](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+04+-+Pedagogical+Methods+used+in+the+%E2%80%9CChildren%E2%80%99s+Houses%E2%80%9D) * [Chapter 05 - Discipline](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+05+-+Discipline) * [Chapter 06 - How the lesson should be given](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+06+-+How+the+lesson+should+be+given) * [Chapter 07 - Exercises for Practical Life](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+07+-+Exercises+for+Practical+Life) * [Chapter 08 - Reflection the Child’s diet](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+08+-+Reflection+the+Child%E2%80%99s+diet) * [Chapter 09 - Muscular education gymnastics](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+09+-+Muscular+education+gymnastics) * [Chapter 10 - Nature in education agricultural labor: Culture of plants and animals](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+10+-+Nature+in+education+agricultural+labor%3A+Culture+of+plants+and+animals) * [Chapter 11 - Manual labor the potter’s art, and building](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+11+-+Manual+labor+the+potter%E2%80%99s+art%2C+and+building) * [Chapter 12 - Education of the senses](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+12+-+Education+of+the+senses) * [Chapter 13 - Education of the senses and illustrations of the didactic material: General sensibility: The tactile, thermic, basic, and stereo gnostic senses](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+13+-+Education+of+the+senses+and+illustrations+of+the+didactic+material%3A+General+sensibility%3A+The+tactile%2C+thermic%2C+basic%2C+and+stereo+gnostic+senses) * [Chapter 14 - General notes on the education of the senses](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+14+-+General+notes+on+the+education+of+the+senses) * [Chapter 15 - Intellectual education](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+15+-+Intellectual+education) * [Chapter 16 - Method for the teaching of reading and writing](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+16+-+Method+for+the+teaching+of+reading+and+writing) * [Chapter 17 - Description of the method and didactic material used](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+17+-+Description+of+the+method+and+didactic+material+used) * [Chapter 18 - Language in childhood](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+18+-+Language+in+childhood) * [Chapter 19 - Teaching of numeration: Introduction to arithmetic](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+19+-+Teaching+of+numeration%3A+Introduction+to+arithmetic) * [Chapter 20 - Sequence of exercise](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+20+-+Sequence+of+exercise) * [Chapter 21 - General review of discipline](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+21+-+General+review+of+discipline) * [Chapter 22 - Conclusions and impressions](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+22+-+Conclusions+and+impressions) * [Chapter 23 - Illustrations](https://montessori-international.com/s/the-montessori-method/wiki/Chapter+23+-+Illustrations)