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Respect for the child: Teachers who are nurturing and caring help children become capable of making their own choices. When there is independence, the students will be able to develop skills that show initiative and self-assurance.

The absorbent mind: Maria Montessori believed that children absorb knowledge by taking it in over time through their daily interaction with others. She wrote, “We acquire knowledge as a tree acquires its future branches; we grow into knowledge by absorbing it into our lives—we learn by living.”

Sensitive Periods: A sensitive period refers to a special sensibility which an infant acquires during an early stage of rapid brain growth. This phenomenon is a transient disposition and can best be compared to an “acquired habit.” In other words, with the passing of time, once this behavior or characteristic has been "learned" in this manner, the ability will disappear quite suddenly.

The prepared environment: The prepared environment is an orderly, child-friendly setting where educators can provide children with toys and experiences that will stimulate their thinking in creative ways. By staying organized, educators create a safe space for children to roam freely. In this way, education happens in the same way that learning naturally occurs in everyday life: when a child learns from his or her own experiences.

Autoeducation: Young children have amazing abilities to learn. Many people think that parents are a child’s first teachers. However, Maria Montessori discovered that if children had the right “tools,” (or classroom environment), they could teach themselves without the help of an adult. She named her concept autoeducation. Children who are given “free rein” (or a choice of activities) and actual freedom literally educate themselves with Maria Montessori’s assisted education method.