Every Montessorian has heard the phrase, “Follow the child.” It reminds us that we learn how to guide each child from the child himself. We know that observation is our strongest tool for preparing material and the environment, as well as for effectively helping our students enjoy successful learning.

Maria Montessori developed these key principles by spending years working with children during the evolution of the first Casa Dei Bambini– The Children’s House. Though it may seem to us now that her ideas  and findings make perfect sense, at the time they were considered radical; even she was surprised at many of the skills the children exhibited. Montessori chronicled her journey and some of these revolutionary educational discoveries in a book called The Secret of Childhood, first published in 1936. Please enjoy this infographic, which features some of our favorite aspects of this wonderful work!

Maria Montessori: The Secret of Childhood – An Infographic on Following the Child

We have taken some of the most interesting and pertinent information from the book and organized it into an infographic for reference or as an introduction to the history of the Montessori method. The Likes of the Child is a list Dr. Montessori compiled through active study of the children in her care, and is especially useful to keep in mind when creating your prepared environment and developing new works to add to your shelves.

While we are pleased to be able to provide this infographic, we encourage you to consider reading The Secret of Childhood and Maria Montessori’s other works. There are simply too many important ideas and fascinating glimpses into history to ever be summarized in a single image! Did you enjoy this infographic? Please let us know so we can continue to provide helpful content. You can also follow us on Pinterest, where NAMC shares a number of beautiful and inspiring quotes from Dr. Montessori.