What is "Montessori"?

The Montessori Method was created by Maria Montessori in Italy in the 1890's. She was a doctor, a true maverick, being a woman and all and being a practicing physician. She saw a need, though, and fulfilled the teaching and taming of the town's young children and those with special needs. Her methods caught fire and literally spread across the world, where a resurgence of Montessori methods came about in the United States back in the 1970's.