My love for the Montessori method began before I could even read. Some of my earliest memories are of a large classroom with all of my favorite works (activities). As I grew older and more aware, I remember the satisfying sound of the rice as I would pour it from one glass pitcher into another. The painted cubes of the pink tower felt substantial and important as I placed them one on top of another as carefully as my 4 year old hands could manage. Perhaps the most important memory I have from my six years as a Montessori student was the respect and love which I was given by my teachers. As a result of these heart-achingly beautiful memories and foundations of self-worth, I was drawn back to the Montessori method as an adult.
I now strive to create these same sort of memories for my own children, both in my home and in the classroom. Some days are easier than others, and I am pretty sure I will never live up to the idealized memories of my childhood. I have to try though.
The following is a list of a few books that have been great resources as a Montessori parent:
Montessori From the Start: The Child at Home, From Birth to Age Three by Paula Polk Lillard
How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin
Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook by Maria Montessori
Happy reading, and Namaste!
