Maria Montessori stated that no human being can be taught by another. Each individual must do things for himself or he will never learn. A well educated person will go on learning hours and years after he leaves the classroom because he is motivated by a natural curiosity and is eager to learn. The goal of education must not be to "fill" someone with a selection of academic facts, but to inspire a natural desire to learn.

This goal is achieved by two means: first by letting every child experiment the joy of learning by himself instead of being obliged, and secondly by helping him to perfect his natural abilities to learn, so these skills are present for future learning situations. Montessori material has both these long term goals, and the immediate purpose to give information to the child.