The philosophy of the Datzyk Montessori School is firmly based in the theories and discoveries of Dr. Maria Montessori, Italy's first female physician. In 1892, at age 22, Dr. Montessori completed a degree in natural sciences at the University of Rome. She decided to continue her studies at the Univeristy of Rome, earning a degree in medicine in 1896. A year later, Dr. Montessori began another university degree in pedagogy. It was around this time that she decided she would devote her life to education. She began to read all the relevant work from the previous two hundred years, and was strongly influenced by two other doctors, Dr. Jean Marc Gaspard Itard, and Dr. Édouard Séguin.
By observing many children of varying mental abilities and ages, she found that all could be educated to an above average level. Dr. Itard has been quoted saying, "[I believe] that if I have not been understood by my pupil, it was my fault rather than his." Montessori, too, held this belief. Inspired by this idea, Montessori used her training in medicine, pedagogy, and engineering to develop innovative educational materials and methods, thus allowing her to present complex ideas and lessons in alternative and different approaches.
The physical and mental development of the child has not changed since Montessori's time. Throughout the twentieth century, the Montessori Method has experienced incredible global growth. Thousands of institutions have adopted Dr. Maria Montessori's philosophy and beliefs, and they continue to be proven successful, time and time again. There are hundreds of intelligent and accomplished people who are products of a Montessori education - even the two founders of Google were Montessori students!