Who started the Montessori method of education?

Maria Montessori was an educational visionary. Born to middle-class parents in an Italian village in 1870, she defied convention by becoming a doctor. During her training, she toured asylums and became aware of the plight of children with developmental disabilities. She opened a school for these children, applying the sensory-based educational approach she’d learned from two French educators. The children responded favorably, even passing entrance exams to public schools. Later, in 1906, Montessori drew the attention of the education world with the success of her school for children living in slum conditions.
Montessori traveled extensively, training educators and opening new schools. Modern research has affirmed many of her beliefs about how children learn, proving the extent to which she was ahead of her time.