Grace and Courtesy | Montessori Musings

by Camilla Nichols, Senior Director of Montessori Development
and Tori Inkley, Executive Director

The very first official Montessori training course was held in Rome, Italy in 1913. While the course attracted international attendees, the majority were from America. Maria Montessori taught the theory lessons in Italian at her home and the practical lessons/demonstrations took place at Casa dei Bambini (or The Children’s House), the first Montessori School, which she had established in 1907 in Rome.

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During this time, Dr. Montessori experienced significant changes in her personal life. Her mother, Renilde Stoppani, passed away in 1912, and Montessori was reunited with her son, Mario, who had been raised by a foster family since infancy. Maria Montessori had never married, and due to societal expectations and her professional ambitions, she had arranged for Mario to be raised by others. He later became an integral part of her work, continuing her legacy.

Interest in the Montessori educational approach was particularly strong in the United States, where prominent figures such as Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Helen Keller, and Margaret Woodrow Wilson (President Wilson’s daughter) supported her work. The American journalist Samuel McClure convinced Montessori to travel to the U.S. for a three-week lecture tour in 1913, which he described as a journey “for the conquest of the world”. Dr. Montessori boarded the SS Cincinnati in Naples for a 12-day voyage to America, where she delivered lectures, including two at Carnegie Hall in New York. It has been reported that President Woodrow Wilson and his daughter were so impressed by the Montessori Method that a Montessori classroom was installed in the White House. During her travels, Montessori kept personal and inspirational notes that have since been translated into English and published in Maria Montessori Sails to America: A Private Diary, 1913, by Carolina Montessori, Dr. Montessori’s great-granddaughter.

Dr. Maria Montessori and
Journalist Samuel McClure, 1913

The Evening Star newspaper published an article in 1913 highlighting Dr. Alexander Graham Bell and his wife Mabel’s advocacy for making Washington, D.C., America’s headquarters for Montessori education. Anne George, the first American graduate of Dr. Montessori’s training program in Rome, helped introduce the Montessori Method to the U.S. She was the Director of an early Montessori school in Washington, D.C., with the support of the Bell family. Montessori’s ideas ignited a debate in America about traditional education versus the Montessori approach, which emphasized children’s independence and self-directed learning rather than a rigid, teacher-driven curriculum. Her visit to the U.S. made such a profound impact that she was urged to return as soon as possible to lead more lectures and training programs, as unauthorized training centers were emerging. If Maria Montessori was unable to come herself, it was requested that she send someone who was qualified to train teachers in her method.

In 1915, Maria Montessori returned to the United States, this time accompanied by her son, Mario. She addressed thousands of educators in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego and participated in the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (“World’s Fair”) in San Francisco. One of the most famous moments of this visit was the “Glass Classroom”, a demonstration where 30 children worked independently in a transparent, glass-walled environment, allowing spectators to witness the Montessori Method in action. During this visit, Montessori wrote letters that have since been preserved and published in Maria Montessori Writes to Her Father: Letters from California, 1915, also translated by Carolina Montessori. Dr. Montessori’s California lectures have been archived, with English translations by Robert G. Buckenmeyer, who also compiled articles she published in various newspapers.

After Maria Montessori’s passing in 1952, her son Mario continued to spread her educational philosophy. In 1960, he appointed Nancy McCormick Rambusch to establish the American Montessori Society (AMS), which played a crucial role in expanding Montessori education in the United States. Rambusch founded Whitby Montessori School in Greenwich, Connecticut in 1958, and today, there are more than 15,750 Montessori schools worldwide.

Maria and her son, Mario Montessori, India, 1939

At The Montessori Children’s Academy (MCA), we continue to honor Maria Montessori’s legacy by celebrating “Montessori Education Week” alongside schools around the world. During this special week in February of each year, MCA students demonstrate Montessori Practical Life exercises for parents and visitors, sing Montessori songs, study Italy, review the timeline of Dr. Montessori’s life and work, and practice the “Silence Game”, a mindfulness exercise inspired by Montessori’s teachings on peace. For Montessori Education Week 2025, parents were also invited to observe their children’s classroom activities, and the celebrations concluded with a pizza party at Nonna’s Pizza and Italian Restaurant in Florham Park.

by Jacqueline Pisciotto, Early Childhood Head Teacher
and Becky Weaver, Early Childhood Head Teacher

“It is interesting to notice that where life is simple and natural and where the children participate in the adult’s life, they are calm and happy.” ~ Maria Montessori

“So, my daughter said she has been cleaning a mirror?”
It is not uncommon for a Montessori Directress to hear a parent, especially one new to the Montessori philosophy, express surprise that their child is cleaning a mirror during the day, and wants to do it again and again! Maria Montessori recognized that children are naturally drawn to meaningful work that satisfies their needs during various sensitive periods of development. Practical Life activities are crafted to foster movement, concentration, coordination, independence, order, and the development of both gross and fine motor skills. The Directress (or Head Teacher) thoughtfully arranges these materials to captivate the children’s interest, aligning with their sensitive periods. Maria Montessori observed such a profound attraction to Practical Life activities among the children that this component remained unchanged across the evolution of her educational model. Maria Montessori said, “We begin the day with a series of exercises of practical life, and I must confess that these exercises were the only part of the program which proved thoroughly stationary. These exercises were such a success that they formed the beginning of the day in all of the ‘Children’s Houses’. First: Cleanliness. Order. Poise. Conversation.” (The Montessori Method, originally published in 1912.)

If you have ever wondered about the Practical Life area of the Montessori Classroom… Let’s take a look!

Control of Movement (sometimes referred to as Dexterity) work in the Montessori Practical Life area, is vital for the development of the child. It embodies Maria Montessori’s principle of “helping the child to help himself”. The Prepared Environment, which includes work that incorporates real, child-sized materials, has the child engaged in activities such as spooning, pouring, sorting, or tweezing, in order to sharpen fine motor skills and enhance hand-eye coordination. This work serves as a precursor for academic skills like writing and mathematical operations. This focused work also cultivates concentration, independence, and a sense of order.

The Care of Self component of the Practical Life area plays an important role in fostering independence and self-esteem in young learners. Maria Montessori emphasized education as an aid to life. Through engaging with materials such as the Dressing Frames to learn how to button, zip, snap, buckle, and lace, or learning how to put on a coat without assistance, children refine their gross and fine motor skills. This aspect of Practical Life connects the development of physical coordination with the cultivation of independence. Care of Self tasks are designed to foster not only dexterity, but also lay the foundation for lifelong self-care and independence.

The Care of Environment work in the Montessori classroom is central to a child growing a sense of responsibility, respect, and connection with the classroom, the community, and the world. This component encourages children to engage in activities such as cleaning, food preparation, plant growing, and taking care of animals. By participating in the care of their immediate surroundings, children develop a sense of belonging and an appreciation for the interconnectedness of all living things.

Grace and Courtesy work in the Montessori Practical Life area is a key component to the development of social harmony and respect within the classroom community, which then extends to the children’s lives outside of the classroom. These lessons, which include practices like greeting others, saying “please” and “thank you”, and learning how to interrupt politely, are fundamental in cultivating an environment of mutual respect and empathy. Such activities not only reinforce positive social behaviors but also help children develop emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. Through Grace and Courtesy, Montessori students learn the importance of kindness, cooperation, and respect for others, laying the groundwork for becoming thoughtful and considerate members of society.

Children in a Montessori classroom are drawn to Practical Life work again and again!

The work is foundational for developing a child’s sense of independence, responsibility, and self-discipline. It helps children connect to their inner needs, as well as the greater classroom community and world around them. By engaging in tasks that range from self-care to care of the environment, children enhance their motor skills, concentration, and independence while laying a foundation for lifelong learning.

“These children reveal to us the most vital need of their development, saying:
‘Help me to do it alone!’” ~ Maria Montessori

Montessori Musings

Category Archives: Grace and Courtesy

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