Montessori materials were developed during the twentieth century – which in today’s world might suggest that they are ‘old’ and possibly ‘out of date’. However, they were selected to match the developmental needs and characteristics of children in particular stages of development – needs and characteristics which are observable in all children regardless of the time and place of their particular culture. They are not static, didactic tools for the adult’s teaching. Instead, each offers a key to a particular experience or subject – becoming open-ended and dynamic vehicles for the child’s learning. Montessori’s book The Discovery of the Child is a great place to read some history of the materials for 3-6 year old children, reflecting the scientific approach which was taken for all age levels.