The Secret of Childhood ~ Maria Montessori

The Secret of Childhood ~ Maria Montessori

Small paperback
Some neat pencil lines where previous owner has underlined sentences
Generally, very good condition

Maria Montessoris The Secret of Childhood is a foundational work that unveils her revolutionary insights into early childhood development. Drawing from her experiences as a physician and educator, Montessori presents the child not as a passive recipient of adult instruction, but as a spiritual embryo with innate psychic capacities and a profound inner drive to grow, learn, and adapt. She emphasizes the importance of a prepared environmentone that respects the childs autonomy and offers meaningful choicesso that concentration and development can unfold naturally, without the need for punishment or reward.

Montessori challenges traditional educational models by asserting that adults must learn to observe rather than control, to support rather than impose. The childs work, she argues, is fundamentally different from that of the adult: it is unconscious, creative, and spiritually charged, aimed at constructing the self rather than producing external results. Through repetition, exploration, and freedom within structure, the child builds not only knowledge but identity.