Quotes by Maria Montessori

“The greatest sign of success for a teacher...is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist."”

“Our aim is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his innermost core.”

“Imagination does not become great until human beings, given the courage and the strength, use it to create.”

“Joy, feeling one's own value, being appreciated and loved by others, feeling useful and capable of production are all factors of enormous value for the human soul.”

“Play is the work of the child.”

“It is necessary for the teacher to guide the child without letting him feel her presence too much, so that she may always be ready to supply the desired help, but may never be the obstacle between the child and his experience.”

“These words reveal the child's inner needs; 'Help me to do it alone'.”

“The adult works to improve his environment while the child works to improve himself.”

“The senses, being the explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge.”

“What we need is a world full of miracles, like the miracle of seeing the young child seeking work and independence, and manifesting a wealth of enthusiasm and love.”

“The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.”

“The first essential for the child's development is concentration. The child who concentrates is immensely happy.”