Many of us have seen a young child more interested in the wrapping paper than the gift; or watched as a child played with just a string and a popsicle stick or a large empty box. Maria Montessori observed the same phenomenon at her first job as a doctor in …

Maria Montessori wrote the above over a century ago. Today children entering pre-school or kindergarten are expected to know many things that were not required in earlier generations: how to write their names, recognize letters and numbers, and know their address, phone number, parents’ names, etc. Knowing and understanding are …

From the soft chimes inside their soft, furry toys to the full orchestration of “Carnival of the Animals,” children learn how to distinguish different sounds, rhythms, and melodies. The soothing songs of lullabies sung by mom or dad help them feel loved and fall asleep. At the same time, children …