The Scientists Who Shaped Dr. Maria Montessori and The Montessori Method

When Maria Montessori published The Montessori Method in 1909, it was not the work of an isolated visionary acting on intuition alone. Montessori was first and foremost a scientist—a physician trained in observation, experimentation, and evidence-based conclusions. Her educational method emerged from a rich scientific lineage that spanned medicine, anthropology, psychology, biology, and pedagogy.

Understanding the thinkers who influenced Montessori helps us better understand why her method remains both revolutionary and rigorously grounded more than a century later.

A Scientific Foundation, Not a Pedagogical Trend

At the turn of the 20th century, education was largely philosophical or moralistic. Montessori, however, approached education as a science of human development. She carefully observed children, formed hypotheses, tested materials, refined environments, and documented results. This empirical approach placed her squarely within a scientific tradition shaped by the following key figures.

Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard: Observation and Individualized Education

Often considered the father of special education, Itard is best known for his work with Victor, the so-called “Wild Boy of Aveyron.” Itard believed that intelligence could be developed through systematic sensory stimulation and individualized instruction rather than assumed as fixed.

Montessori adopted Itard’s method of close observation, but went further—rejecting the idea that children labeled “deficient” were fundamentally incapable. Instead, she argued that the environment and method of instruction were often the true limiting factors.

Édouard Séguin: Sensorial Education and Motor Development

A student of Itard, Séguin developed hands-on materials designed to train the senses and strengthen motor control. His belief that movement and cognition are deeply connected became foundational to Montessori’s work.

Montessori refined Séguin’s materials into what we now recognize as Montessori sensorial materials—self-correcting, purposeful, and developmentally sequenced. She credited Séguin as one of the most direct influences on her early experimental work.

Giuseppe Sergi: Scientific Anthropology and Child Study

As a student at the University of Rome, Montessori studied under Sergi, a leading figure in anthropological science. Sergi emphasized empirical measurement, biological development, and the scientific study of humans.

From him, Montessori inherited her insistence that education must be grounded in the study of the child as a biological and psychological being, not merely a moral or social project. This perspective shaped her conviction that education should follow natural developmental laws.

Wilhelm Wundt: Experimental Psychology

Though Montessori did not study directly under Wundt, his work profoundly influenced the intellectual climate of her time. As the founder of experimental psychology, Wundt advanced the idea that mental processes could be observed, measured, and studied scientifically.

Montessori applied this framework to childhood, treating attention, concentration, repetition, and self-discipline as observable phenomena rather than abstract traits. Her classrooms became living laboratories.

Charles Darwin: Development, Adaptation, and Environment

Darwin’s theory of evolution reshaped all biological sciences, including Montessori’s understanding of development. Montessori viewed children as active agents adapting to their environment, not passive recipients of adult instruction.

This evolutionary lens led her to emphasize prepared environments—carefully designed spaces that support natural developmental drives toward independence, order, and mastery.

Friedrich Froebel: Learning Through Activity (and Montessori’s Critique)

Froebel, the founder of the kindergarten movement, influenced Montessori through his emphasis on hands-on learning and structured materials. However, Montessori was also critical of Froebel’s symbolic and adult-directed activities.

Her response was characteristically scientific: she kept what observation confirmed (manipulatives, purposeful work) and discarded what did not (fantasy-driven tasks that interrupted concentration).

Montessori’s Scientific Breakthrough: From Theory to Practice

What distinguishes Montessori from her predecessors is not that she borrowed ideas—but that she tested them with real children. When children demonstrated deep concentration, joy in repetition, and spontaneous self-discipline, Montessori adjusted her theories accordingly.

This led to some of her most radical conclusions:

• Children possess an inner drive to learn

• Independence fosters—not hinders—discipline

• The role of the adult is to observe and prepare, not dominate

• Education must align with developmental stages, not arbitrary curricula

Why This Matters Today

Modern neuroscience, developmental psychology, and educational research continue to affirm what Montessori observed over a century ago. Her work stands as an early example of interdisciplinary science applied to education, bridging medicine, psychology, anthropology, and pedagogy.

Understanding the scientists who influenced Montessori reminds us that the Montessori Method is not a trend or philosophy—it is a living scientific legacy, grounded in observation, respect for the child, and a profound trust in human potential.

At Waterfront Academy, we honor this scientific heritage by continuing Montessori’s work as it was intended: through careful observation, thoughtful preparation, and deep respect for each child’s developmental journey.