1912. Montessori, the first Italian woman M.D., was one of the great pioneers in studying the intellectual development of the young child. Only through movement and manipulation, through thinking with the senses, does the child proceed to later abstract thinking. The doctor carried her insight; that children learned through all their senses, to its logical conclusion. On their way to cleanliness, order, poise, and conversation, children use the Montessori materials-inherently logical and aesthetically pleasing-to develop a sense for order and logical thought, and a firm foundation for success in learning.