Montessori Resources for more information click here
October 15, 2009 — Alenka | Posted in Educational Ideas, Montessori, Teach Your Child.
So, here are the Montessori resources that I found useful! Enjoy and please share if you discovered something that I haven’t seen yet!
Books
There is one of the original books by Maria Montessori that is available online for free: “The Montessori Method” by Maria Montessori .
- Basic Montessori: Learning Activities For Under-Fives, by David Gettman. Terrific book: outlines the basics of the Montessori philosophy and has lists, charts, detailed descriptions and explanations, directions and goals for activities. I loved that many activities can be reproduced in the home environment with home tools, while for some he recommends true Montessori materials. Very useful book.
- Teaching Montessori in the Home: Pre-School Years: The Pre-School Years
by Elizabeth G. Hainstock. This book is terrific for homeschooling parents. While Gettman’s book is applicable to Montessori school, this book actually emphasizes how to make/use home materials, making it indispensable for the at-home Montessorians! - Montessori from the Start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age Three by Paula Polk Lillard. For the first time I tried reading this book when my older one was just born. I never could get pass the introduction. In the introduction the author describes how her mentor emotionally exclaimed, that nobody would like her daughter for not being independent enough, and then proceeded to teach the author, how letting the kid cry in the parking lot the girl learns to rely more on herself, rather then using her mother as a human horse. I couldn’t go on - to me it was too pushy, it wasn’t teaching the little girl who is used to be carried by her mother and now, in a flash has to walk all by herself. My son has always been walking. I never used a stroller for outings, I never went anywhere where he couldn’t walk by himself. Nevertheless, this example was so anti-positive discipline and so cruel… The second time I started reading this book after my second baby was born. My attitude hasn’t changed. I still don’t like lots of the advices: early weaning, how to dress the baby, etc. When it comes to baby’s mobility - I’d recommend Doman’s approach: the book advocates so much clothes on the baby, that it would be too hard to move, and Doman’s suggestions get babies earlies physical development much further. This book proudly announces, that following author’s advice you are going to get your baby to sit unsupported by six months and to crawl at 7-8! Following Doman’s advice, my baby was sitting unsupported at 4, crawling by the end of 4th month, creeping into every possible place at six and… walking by 8! What I really liked - was the practical life chapter. The directions on how to introduce practical life activities to the little ones are absolutely wonderful: I wish it was in a list/chart structure, to make later reference easier, but the explanations are thorough and very inspiring.
Other recommended books that I haven’t had a chance to read myself yet:
- Montessori in the Classroom
- Dr. Montessori’s Own Handbook
- The Advanced Montessori Method
- How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin
Web sites for ordering materials or learning how to make them yourself
- Nienhuis Catalogue: these are “official” Montessori classroom toys - well made and, unfortunately, incredibly expensive. Nevertheless this site is great: it offers a terrific reference on what materials can be useful/necessary. Afterwards, they can either be found someplace else, or made at home.
- Educational Toys Planet: while not pure Montessori, I’ve used this site to order lots of Melissa & Doug, Educational Insights, and other great toys that can be used for Montessori activities.
- Montessori Materials: another terrific site to use as a reference. I haven’t tried ordering from there, but I loved how all the toys have description on how it can be used
- Local crafts store: I visited our local Michaels and discovered that it’s a dreamland for a montessori-wonna be! It has lots of raw materials, jars, wicker baskets, wooden balls, pegs, eggs, boxes, other tools that can either be used as is, or further painted and adjusted for appropriate activities.
- Montessori in Motion: wonderful directions and explanations on wonderful Montessori mobiles - the first essential learning tool for the youngest montessorian-babies. Maria Montessori stresses the importance of early introduction of the sensorial activities, and mobiles provide newborns with a great opportunity to exercise that: “Mobiles are an aid to the visual sense. Babies of only 2-3 days have been observed in concentration of 20-25 minutes watching the black and white images of the Munari mobile.”
- Montessori Services: this site originally has been recommended to us by our friends kids’ Montessori school. I was ordering practical life sets from them - jugs, jars, boxes and whole activity sets - pouring rice set, color dropper set, etc. These sets arrived today. Seem very nice - everything is ready for the activity and, most importantly, suggestions and instructions are inclosed!
- Adena Montessori: Montessori toys for a lot more affordable prices. I’ve ordered from them and I’ll definitely do it again - toys arrived fast, were packaged well, looked good, the quality was fine. No complains here.
- Montessori Outlet: site greatly recommended by many Montessori parents. Parents who had more experience with ordering Montessori toys, rated it higher then Adena Montessori. Well, the prices are a little higher too and products look very similar on the web, while parents who used other stores, praise Montessori Outlet the most.
- Pink House: I ordered an egg and a peg. Well made, no complains. But after I placed my order I found these items in my local Michaels for a fraction of that price. So, check your local craft store first: you might find just everything that you need - yarn, wooden eggs, pegs, etc.
- Alison’s Montessori: I haven’t used this store, but I’ve heard many positive reviews about it’s materials.
- Montessori Equipment: That’s the site I wouldn’t recommend. The ordering process is fine and the prices are good… too good. The products are not that good. I’ve ordered some infant toys and was really upset: Maria Montessor insisted, that toys should be simple - and beautiful. These are just simple. And cheap. The handles are so tiny, that it is very hard for little fingers to grab them. Some handles are so tiny, that it is hard for my adult fingers to pull - I am currently replacing them by myself! Some items are not done right -there is a sorting box, where you insert the triangular prism at the top, and take it out either by opening a small door, or by putting your hand through the circular opening in the door. Opening is so small, that you can’t even push a prism through it, forget about a hand! Many items are choking hazards - balls that are perfect for blocking the windpipe, disks, etc. All toys that we’ve got have a label, that states that it shouldn’t be used by children younger then…4! Wait, but these are infant-toddler toys!! Very-very disappointing.
Websites for making your own materials, reading other “montessorian’s” blogs and getting free printables
- World Wide Montessori: a terrific online course for parents and teachers by AMS accredited teacher. I can’t praise this course enough. I have my own review of the course here: Montessori for parents and teachers course
Websites for making your own materials, reading other “montessorian’s” blogs and getting free printables
First of all, there are a number of yahoo groups that you can join for more advice:
- Montessori Homeschooling: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/playschool6/
- terrific group for homeschooling parents. Wonderful community of parents, lots of materials, ideas, suggestions. - Montessori Online: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/montessori_online/
- this group seems more oriented for professional Montessori teachers, then parents. Lots of wonderful discussions, but not everything is applicable in the home environment. - Printable Montessori Materials-HEATHER: http://www.montessorimaterials.org
- Direction in Making Materials + 5 Sub groups-DAISY: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/montessorimakers/
- Buying/Selling Materials-MARY: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Montessori_Swap/
- Montessori Marketplace-KAREN: AMS Certified teacher instructed lessons and a place to purchase materials
http://www.amontessorimarketplace.com/ - Files Shared for Montessori Material Making: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mm_share/
- Livable Learning through Montessori-SUZANNE: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/livablelearning/
- Livable Learning/Preparing the Home and the Heart-SUZANNE: http://jmjpublishing.com/index.htm
- Montessori Materials
- Montessori For Everyone
- Montessori en el hogar: Spanish blog with lots of materials in both English and Spanish
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