Maria Montessori, the Italian educator who revolutionized child education over a century ago, maintained that the freedom to experiment, touch, and discover the surrounding environment is fundamental for learning. One of her most well-known aphorisms summarizes this idea: “A child who has the freedom and opportunity to use their hands in a logical manner, with understanding, develops a strong personality.” [1]
This perspective is detailed in her work “The Absorbent Mind,” published in 1949, based on lectures delivered in India during the last years of her career. Montessori believed that hands play a decisive role in intellectual development, asserting that learning does not come solely from listening to explanations or memorizing concepts, but from acting upon the world. Through manipulating objects, arranging pieces, or performing practical tasks (such as clearing a table or pouring water), children build mental connections and strengthen their autonomy. [1]
The pedagogue defined hands as “the organ of intelligence,” emphasizing the indestructible link between thought and movement. For her, a child’s brain requires exploration and contact with physical reality to develop in a balanced way. The activities proposed by Montessori always had a clear purpose and logical structure, helping children understand processes and gain confidence. She strongly criticized the rigid educational system of her time, which required children to sit still and remain passive, considering it an obstacle to natural development and the expression of intelligence. [1]
Montessori preferred the use of real materials—crystal, wood, water, domestic utensils—over toys without practical utility, as these developed concentration, responsibility, and coordination. Her theory emphasized the relationship between autonomy and personality formation: independently completing a task generates trust and a sense of capability, which form the foundation of a stable personality. The absence of practical activity in childhood was warned against as a cause of frustration, lack of initiative, and difficulties in emotional control, with energy needing to be channeled through action. [1]
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