An approach to the education of pre-school-age children developed by Italian physician-educator Maria Montessori, featuring special materials for teaching numbers, letters, and abstract ideas. Materials are designed to foster independent thinking and creativity and to enhance a child’s use of the various sensory modes or modalities for learning, in what is called sensory education. From Italy the Montessori approach spread worldwide, with small Montessori schools springing up locally in many countries; many follow Montessori’s original methods, while those in the United States were somewhat modified. In recent years, Montessori approaches have been widely used in public schools, as well.