n her 1949 lecture in London, Dr.Maria Montessori emphasized the vital role of imagination in a child’s development of intelligence. She argued that intelligence is not merely a matter of acquiring facts or information but is deeply connected to a child’s ability to engage with the world through creativity, curiosity, and active exploration.
According to Montessori, imagination allows children to go beyond the concrete reality they experience and begin constructing mental models, which are essential for problem-solving and abstract thinking.
Montessori highlighted that the child’s mind is naturally inclined to construct knowledge from experiences, and this process is often driven by the child’s imagination. By engaging with materials, objects, and social situations, children learn to conceptualize abstract ideas and make sense of the world.