Customer Reviews

How To Raise An Amazing Child the Montessori Way

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mr. Seldin happens to be the president of the Montessori Foundation, and so I suppose it should not be surprising that the book is essentially an infomercial on Montessori schools. But does that mean it's not worth reading?

Actually, no- the book does have value, even for (or maybe especially for) parents who don't intend to send their children to Montessori schools.

* Games and Activities: Seldin provides numerous examples of at-home educational activities and games you can play with your infant, toddler, and child up to age six. Plus, the book is replete with photographs of the activities Seldin describes, making it a visually enjoyable read. The activities listed are probably the single biggest reason I will keep this book instead of swapping it at a used bookstore- as my daughter gets older, I can see that it will be useful to refer back to it to get some fresh ideas.
* Ideas for Child's room: Seldin describes ways in which parents can "evolve" a child's room, and the whole house, to fit the child's needs as they get older. I am fairly new to the the Montessori philosophy, but I can tell you that I immediately saw a difference in my daughter's fussiness and tantrums when I started making the house more accessible to her (for instance, now I have a low cabinet with "her" kitchen items in it- she can go get a bowl by herself and fill it with some rye crackers and raisins when she is hungry- she LOVES this new independence).
* Discipline Advice: One chapter in a book probably isn't enough to overhaul a parent's disciplinary practices, but Seldin does provide a few useful tips on minimizing tantrums and teaching care and compassion.
* Appedix of Montessori Resources: This alone isn't enough to buy the book, but I did appreciate that Seldin devoted one page at the end of the book to compiling a list of various Montessori organizations, books, and suppliers of Montessori educational materials. (If you're curious, my favorite supplier currently is Montessori Services - they have lots of useful games, puzzles, furniture, housewares and other stuff for kids.)
I have other reviews on my blog, the Daily Citron.

I am so happy that this book is available as it is one of the few Montessori books that has so many lovely photos. This book is for anyone interested in Montessori and has many easy and basic suggesions for setting up your home to be child friendly. Even if you do not intend to take your child to a Montessori school, you will be able to use this book at home for years and years. It has great birthday party suggestions which I have never seen in a Montessori book before. It is filled with great ideas.

This is not the book to get if you are looking for an introduction to Montessori schools. It is primarily geared toward the home.

I picked up a copy of How to Raise an Amazing Child - and I must say that it is an amazing book. It is a gem filled with important tips as well as a beautiful piece of art. I find myself leafing though it just to enjoy the photographs and the presentation. I love the practical and helpful ideas throughout, such as ideas on how to create a meaningful birthday celebration, how to encourage and teach helpfulness, and how to set up your child's world to encourage the enjoyment and learning of new skills. This is a worthwhile book for any parent to enjoy and learn from.
Elizabeth Pantley,
Author of The No-Cry Discipline Solution

This is one of the most useful books on child-rearing I have ever read. In many ways it is typical of DK - wonderful pictures and concise and relevant content. This makes it accessible to people unfamiliar with the Montessori approach. People more familiar with Montessori philosophy will recognise the authenticity of Tim Seldin's guidelines for parents. This book is an ideal gift for new parents and should be read by anyone who comes into contact with young children.

This is no literary great, but a short and sweet little guide about montessori in the home. The photos are exquisite, a real joy in themselves. The ideas and activities in the book are more contemporary than some of the other montessori the in the home books around as well.

I didn't know much about the Montessori method, but this book was a great introduction to both the general principals, and specific practices. It's a fairly quick read, with lots of pictures (showcasing the most amazing kids fashion I've ever seen), but it offers a wonderful window into a method that has raised many successful and fascinating children and adults over the past century.

A very nice point about this book is that there are instructions on how to make some of the specific Montessori toys used for learning letters and numbers. There's also a short but comprehensive list at the end of suggested books and web resources. Since, as the book explains, the Montessori method isn't copyrighted and anyone can claim it, it was nice that the book offered some definitive sources that can be trusted.

I'd recommend this book to any parent of a young child. Even if you don't want to send your child to a Montessori school (and the book even freely admits that it's not for everyone), there are some really valuable ideas in this book about everything from learning to child development to discipline to specific activities to do with a child.

This is a wonderful parenting book that is very easy to read. It is a perfect gift for parents of young children. I highly recommend it to families interested in the Montessori philosophy but it is a great resource for anyone to use.

I checked this book out from our local library and was so impressed with the layout, photos, and the simple yet effective dialogue that I ordered two copies and gave them to our daughters who are each new mothers. It is a great way to introduce the Montessori philosophy to young parents!

I have had this book for only 2 weeks and it is already dog-eared. I woke up one day a few weeks ago and realized that I needed to quickly figure out how to best foster daily activities for my increasingly headstrong, curious, and independent 10 month old. I soon learned that the tenets of Montessori really can provide a wonderful environment for my daughter throughout her early development. This book is a fun, beautiful, and streamlined primer that teaches the concepts of preparing space and setting up activities that allow children to discover things for themselves. It also illustrates how to model grace, manners, kindness, and conflict resolution.

Little efforts have already payed off. I have started organizing her play space so that she has full access to her toys and books. She is beginning to get the concept of cleaning up. I have made a treasure basket which was a *BIG* hit. More importantly, my attitude toward her has changed. It's not about me controlling her, but giving her the opportunity to learn, then stepping back a bit. This book has clearly given me information that allows my child to be an interactive, contributing family member with a voice. I can't wait to implement more of the concepts in the book that are designed for older toddlers, but I am already thankful to Tim Seldin for the change that this book has brought to me.

I have plenty of parenting books, so I was disappointed to find that this book is pretty basic. There's a lot of padding in photos and introductory text, this book could be half the size. I don't know much about montessori, but I don't need another "fundamentals of parenting" book.

This would be a good book if you
a) have a short attention span or little interest in reading
b) have no or very few other parenting books

I suggest getting it from the library instead. There's not enough information here to make it useful as a reference book.