Montessori is an Italian educator and an internationally renowned preschool educator. Montessori loved biology since he was a child, and later became obsessed with medicine. Therefore, despite the dissuasion of relatives and friends, Montessori broke through the shackles of women at that time and resolutely entered the medical department of Rome University. 1896 She graduated with honors and became the first female doctor of medicine in Italy. While working as an assistant doctor in the psychiatric clinic affiliated to the University of Rome, she treated children with physical and mental defects and gradually turned to the study of mentally retarded children.

The main viewpoints of the new educational thought

1. Develop children's inner potential through free education and cultivate active and creative talents that meet the needs of social development.

2. Organize education according to the law of children's physical and mental development.

3. Attach importance to modern humanities and natural science courses, cultivate children's abilities in all aspects through various education, and cultivate students' sense of responsibility and enterprising spirit by instilling the concepts of democracy, freedom and cooperation.

4. Advocate that education should be linked with real life and encourage children to act freely and independently. The educational program of the new education movement is "life education", "respect for individuality" and "spontaneous learning".

Montessori's view of children's development

Montessori believes that education is to help children develop their inner strength; The psychological potential determined by heredity determines the individual's development direction, which is manifested as spontaneous impulse, giving children positive life motivation and promoting individual's continuous development; Psychological potential must be embodied and developed through activities in a suitable environment. The basic task of education is to provide children with an independent and free environment, so that each child's potential can be naturally developed and become a healthy child.

Montessori's View of Freedom and Discipline

Montessori believes that the spontaneous impulse of children's life potential is manifested in free activities, and guiding or restraining children's free activities is the standard to distinguish between good and bad education. Freedom is the most basic principle of Montessori method. She pointed out that although parents love their children deeply, there are still conflicts between them. The root cause is that adults unconsciously suppress children's personality development, set obstacles for children's psychological development and suppress children's freedom because of hidden prejudices.