Dr. Maria Montessori the first woman physician in Italy, opened a school in January, 1907, in a slum in Rome, to test some new theories she had about children’s learning and development. A century later, psychology research is showing that her educational theories were ahead of their time.

Dr. Angeline Lillard, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, has been studying Montessori's methods for more than two decades. In her best-selling book Montessori: The Science behind the Genius, articles, educational DVD, and speaking engagements Dr. Lillard presents Montessori’s theoretical principles, the science research that has followed them, and how they are implemented in a Montessori classroom.