Maria Montessori and Neuroscience: The Trailblazing Insights of an Exceptional Mind
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This comment presents Maria Montessori (1870–1952) and highlights that her child-centered method of education is based on brilliant intuitions, which were confirmed by neuroscience research many decades later, such as the distinction of three critical periods in children’s psychobiological development; the importance of the environment in supporting cerebral development and in promoting learning, as well as of affective stimulation in psychological growth and maturation; the specific neural structure of humans that specifically enables the acquisition of a language; the vital role of fine object manipulation in neuropsychological development, and of the physical exercise in brain and nervous system development.
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Research works printed but not linked: 1
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- Authors
- Fabri, M., & Fortuna, S.
- Affiliations
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
- Marche Polytechnic University (IT)
- ORCID
- Fabri, Mara
- Venue
- The Neuroscientist
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2020-02-28
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 5-6
- Pages
- 394-401
- ISSN
- 1073-8584 (ISSN-L)
- 1089-4098
- OpenAlex
- W3007719411
- Cited by
- 13
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 2.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Locations
- The Neuroscientist (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Università Politecnica delle Marche (Università Politecnica delle Marche) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Education Methods and Practices
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroscience, Education and Cognitive Function
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurology and Historical Studies
- Keywords
- Maria Montessori, Montessori method, child-centered education, critical period, brain development, learning environment, language acquisition, neural basis of language, physical activity, history of neuroscience
- MeSH terms
- Brain, Child, Child Development, Female, Humans, Language, Learning, Neurosciences, History, 19th Century, History, 20th Century
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