Rating: 
Summary: Stiff writing style and rather sterile philosophy
Review: This book is poorly organized, woodenly written, and does not offer easy-to-use guidelines for daily practice of Montessori principles.Having just started to investigate Montessori, I am put off by the strict and rather uptight quality of some of the ideas herein, e.g. "Have books for the child under six years old that are based on reality, rather than fantasy. The young child needs to explore the real world before he can appreciate a fantasy world created by adults...where rabbits talk and wear clothes and go to school...Never mix books with toys...We teach children from the beginning to handle books with care, turning the pages from the top." They claim that, in the 1950's, ninety-two percent of babies were toilet trained by the age of 18 months -- a figure they do not back up with any data and which sounds suspiciously like wishful thinking to me. (Afterall, a "good" baby was a toilet-trained baby.) Some of their ideas for toys and activities rang true to me, but many of the toys they recommend can only be purchased from speciality retailers for quite high prices ($50 and up for a single wooden toy). A few examples of toys you can make are given -- good, for the parent who has the time. I might be missing something about the Montessori philosophy, but the way this book describes it, it sounds very regimented and as if quiet obedience and self-sufficiency are the primary qualities to be taught and valued in a child. If anyone can recommend a book that better explains Montessori, I welcome your suggestion. Also: I caught one obvious error in the forward: the "popular song from the 60s" was called "Mr. Big Stuff (Who Do You Think You Are)" -- NOT "Mr. Mixed Up." An ironic mistake...?
Rating: 
Summary: Guilt Trip in a Book
Review: This book is ridiculous. I purchased it because I wanted to learn more about Montessori, and possibly give my child a headstart on learning. It was a complete disappointment. It implies everything we normally do with babies now is ineffective, and, worse, bad for them. We should never "confine" them in cribs, swings, baby seats, playpens, etc. We shouldn't even prop them up in a sitting position. We shouldn't use disposable diapers or bottle feed, or have pain relief during childbirth. We shouldn't buy them the toys that are out now, instead we should construct our own carefully designed toys, or purchase specific ones recommended. They should never watch TV or do anything strictly for entertainment value, for this is precious time they could've spent learning. We should never try to occupy them so that, God forbid, we have a few minutes to actually accomplish something. Get real. I am furious that I actually spent money on this worthless book. I considered donating it to my library, but don't want to subject anyone else to the crap it contains. What I'd really like is my money back. The worst part is this book made me leary of any sort of montessori education. Surely the actual schools aren't this absurd. Come to think of it, the one near me has a fence around the playground- why are they confining them? Aren't they watching them? ridiculous!
Rating: 
Summary: Heping babies to calmness and inner strength
Review: This is the first Montessori book I read after hearing about it years ago. I expected to learn about the method, which I did, thanks to the book's clear writing and pragmatic choice of content. But quite unexpectedly, and more importantly so, it opens up a new horizon in my personal relation with children that is at once profound and practicable.
The Montessori method begins with acknowledging a child as a developing but incomplete individual. Being developing but incomplete, she needs help in facilitation rather than education in the conventional sense, which tends to be pre-packaged and indoctrinating. Being an individual, she is on a journey to adulthood that is her own, with an inner self to emerge and a will to grow. Her goal is a reflective person who knows her way and summons her will to walk in it. There is a properly spiritual dimension that appeals immediately to me. According to the authors who founded their own Montessori school over twenty years ago, "Montessori children" are known for their calmness and inner strength. While the method normally applies to school-aged children, this book claims to be the first attempt to extend it to babies below three in the home context. I think the authors have succeeded in piecing together a coherent and convincing picture, from years of experience in the field, as well as their own families. (The second author is in fact daughter of the first who raised her in the Montessori manner.) The theory is well formulated and clearly presented, with detailed advice on practical matters such as helping babies to sleep, food, clothings, toilet, etc. that are derived from it. It therefore reads coherent and whole, unlike many other baby care books that tend to appear piecemeal and ad hoc. This book is especially challenging to parents in modern societies, who tend to distract their children from their individual missions with many toys and activities. It may not be far-fetched to speculate that it has helped cause the increasing problem of attention deficiency among children today. Whether it is or not, the Montessori method for babies and up should be its direct prevention.
Rating:
Summary: Angry that I wasted my money
Review: [...]
Montessori is not a parenting style, attachment parents or more mainstream parents can all apply montessori methods at home. How long the baby nurses, where they sleep, at what age they sleep through the night, none of that is montessori! Different cultures parent differently, and one of Maria Montessori's main criteria for montessori education was that it be relevant to the era and culture that the child lives in. She never went into specifics on any of the crap that these authors go into.
I think it is wrong for them to infiliterate their own parenting tactics under the banner of Montessori methods, I hope to find a book that is more relevant and true to what it advertises that it is on it's cover and cover notes.
| 
