Dr. Maria Montessori made incredible contributions to the field of early care and education that we increasingly see the power of today. She was and continues to be a gift to both caregivers of young children and children themselves.

However, today we have a tendency to get confused about when and how to use her name in relation to our youngest children and their care. A quick search for toddler toys returns a large number of “Montessori-inspired” items, leaving us to believe that her approach was defined by wood construction and a colorless palette.

In this article we will ask: what do we really mean when invoke the name of Montessori?