What philosophy guides the Montessori method?

At the root of Montessori’s method was a deeply held belief in the dignity and spiritual worth of every child.
A disciplined observer of children’s learning patterns, Montessori recognized each child’s natural desire to master new skills. Montessori school classrooms encourage children to touch, manipulate and explore. Subjects traditionally reserved for older students, such as geometry, grammar, botany and zoology, are introduced early. Montessori was the first to recognize that the minds of children under six are receptive to these subjects.