Following years of intense observations of child behaviour, Maria Montessori (1870-1952) developed a deep understanding of childhood development during the formative years. This essay will look at Montessori’s philosophy on a child’s development during this influential time and what the specific needs of a child are in relation to these periods. The essay will discuss Montessori’s stages of growth and my understanding of the role key individuals and the environment play in a child’s optimum development.

Montessori identified three main periods of growth or planes of development, quite distinct from one-another and interestingly corresponding with the phases of physical growth - with the first and last characterised by great change and the second being much calmer (Montessori, 2007a). These successive developmental stages or “series of rebirths” (Montessori, 2007a, p18) are infancy (from birth to six years), childhood (six to twelve years) and adolescence (twelve to eighteen years).

The first plane of development has two sub phases; the spiritual embryo (from birth until three years) and the social embryo (three years to six years). During this first stage, the child’s mentality is unique from the following planes of development; the mind is open and highly absorbent of all and any information and environmental occurrence and nuance. According to Montessori, during the spiritual embryonic phases, the child’s mind cannot be influenced upon or subjected to direct adult influence. (Montessori, 2007a) During this time the child begins to learn how to talk, think and remember, move and walk. Montessori noted that while the body is fully formed, during this formative period the mind undergoes a kind of mental construction which sees the child greatly adapting to his/her environment, cultural norms and behaviour, and language. It is during this time the physical and