Maria Montessori (1870 - 1952) was a Catholic pioneer in the area of early childhood education. Her methods have met with unprecedented success and were highly praised by several Popes. Many of her ideas, although designed for a specialized classroom setting, will be useful to Catholic homeschooling parents today. Her ideas of the "three period lesson", "practical life exercises" and "sensitive periods" are particularly helpful. Her philosophies about how children learn and "the prepared environment" are very applicable to the homeschool setting. The following books are written by or about Maria Montessori and her educational ideas.