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Mommy, Teach Me: Preparing Your Preschool Child for a Lifetime of Learning [Paperback]

Barbara Curtis
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Book Description

June 1, 2007
In Mommy, Teach Me author Barbara Curtis, a mother of twelve, shares secrets on how to turn everyday experiences into learning opportunities for preschool children. Designed as a user-friendly educational program, this book is filled with interactive exercises for parents to implement with their littlest ones at home. They will discover that while playing, drawing, and just being a kid, children can also be practicing muscle control, concentration, orderliness, and other basic skills that will help them with later education and all throughout life.

Frequently Bought Together

Mommy, Teach Me: Preparing Your Preschool Child for a Lifetime of Learning + Mommy, Teach Me to Read: A Complete and Easy-to-Use Home Reading Program + Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Price for all three: $36.78

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mommy, Teach Me! gives parents the tools to help them bring out the best in their child and the best in themselves. This book will help you discover your God-given abilities so that you can help your child better discover hers or his." -- Drs. William and Martha Sears

About the Author

Barbara Curtis has published more than 700 articles and five books and writes the popular Mommy Life blog. She is an AMI certified Montessori teacher and leads workshops for mothers from all walks of life on reading and other educational topics. Barbara and her husband, Tripp, have twelve children and live in Waterford, Virginia.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: B&H Books (June 1, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0805444769
  • ISBN-13: 978-0805444766
  • Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,230 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Back in the 70's, when I took my training as a Montessori teacher, I never dreamed someday I would be mother to 12. But here I am - and alive to tell about it too!

My life took many a tangent before it settled where it is now. From Washington DC antiwar activist/radical feminist to San Francisco drug addict/ welfare mother. In 1980 I began to see the light, cleaned up my act and tried to become the mother my two daughters - Samantha Sunshine and Jasmine Moondance - needed. In 1983, I married a fellow seeker. We meditated daily and searched relentlessly for the truth. We began building an award-winning tree care business in California. In addition we began having babies every 18 months. By the time we found Christ in 1987, we had five - the two girls, plus Joshua, Matthew, and Benjamin.

Some things changed - our politics, for instance - while some remained the same, like new babies on a regular basis. I homeschooled our children for 10 years, putting into practice all I knew of Montessori. In 1995 I began writing - in the beginning to share with other moms how to incorporate Montessori principles into their daily lives and to find more joy in raising their children.

I have since published over 1200 articles and 9 books. And for the past five years I have written extensively at my blog www.MommyLife.net where my goal is to unburden, enlighten, encourage, and empower moms to find joy in their role as mothers while staying informed about the world we live in..

Today, Samantha and Jasmine are married - each with six children of their own. Two sons are married - one a contractor and one an aspiring opera singer. Two are single - an actor and a soon-to-be marine OCS candidate. One daughter is in college. This leaves my husband Tripp and me at home with 5 - our famous daughter Maddy (seen on American Idol) and 4 sons with Down syndrome - three of whom were adopted.

I am in the unique position of having raised two full generations of kids - so I write from a position not just of "been there, done that" but also "still here, still doing this."

Eight years ago, I returned to northern Virginia with 23 native Californians. Who says you can never go home again?

Customer Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
(12)
4.2 out of 5 stars
It's full of simple excercises and ideas to teach independence and self confidence in learning. Joan M. Glasgow  |  4 reviewers made a similar statement
I would highly recommend this book to anyone with young children. Kasey  |  1 reviewer made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Book that Fills the Need! July 14, 2008
Format:Paperback
I love how Maria Montessori really recognized the potential of a child in learning. She recognized the absorbent mind at the young ages, and illustrated how there are different sensitive periods of learning. It's easy to recognize how children need the tangible, sensory types of learning at a young age. She really did see the beautiful gifts of a young child, and tried to respect the child.

I am so excited that I found the missing link for me for incorporating Montessori approach in the home for the younger ages. I bought Mommy, Teach Me! and Mommy, Teach Me to Read! Both are slim volumes, packed with encouragement and information, but not intimidating or overwhelming. I would say she's a modern Elizabeth Hainstock, but makes the Montessori in the home even more parent friendly and less intimidating and scientific. The emphasis isn't about making one's own materials, like Hainstock, but more about making it all approachable and doable for mothers in the home.

Mrs. Curtis is a mother of twelve and homeschools her children and does understand the needs of a child and busy SAH moms. She had AMI training and taught Montessori in the classroom. She shares her knowledge and experience with other parents. She recognizes the role of God and our spiritual lives in education.

Mommy, Teach Me! explains your preschooler can thrive at home because "The Best Teacher is Forever"..."The Best Classroom Has No Walls"..."The Best Instruction Doesn't Stop at Noon"...and "The Best Foundation is Love."

This isn't a purist Montessori approach, but a gentle family friendly approach. Mrs. Curtis gently describes how to present to a child, but that presentations aren't just those 3 hour periods, but all day -life -- with the child. I totally recognize that when I teach my children, I'm also learning, probably five times more. I'm learning to be calm, deliberate, patient, gentle, leading but not forceful. I'm learning to be a better parent. Of course I'm a work in progress, but her books do give me encouragement! I'm also learning self-discipline by creating order and to help my sons thrive.

The presentations in this book cover the basic exercises like pouring, using tongs, sequencing, etc. They are recognizable as simple Montessori presentations, but in a friendly home environment, not segregated from family life. She has lots of applicable ideas in shopping trips, laundry, and other daily chores. The other chapters cover Manipulatives, Imaginative Play, Beginning Math, Science, Geography, Fine Arts, and Spiritual Life.

The previous negative reviewer must not have been familiar with any Montessori, because she would have recognized the practical life and simple exercises found in all Montessori classrooms. And ask any child if pouring rice or beans is different than water, and they would say yes! Each skill is built on...you wouldn't want to start with water with a small child who has never done any pouring.

And all these exercises are building up hand motions, eye-hand coordinations, left-to-right movements as building blocks in learning to read and write.

I highly recommend this book and her "Mommy, Teach me to Read!" books to help any parent realize that teaching isn't just a professional's job, and learning happens especially in the home and the family, not in classrooms.
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33 of 37 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars For Mothers with small children April 7, 2008
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I took my son out of pre-school because we were having problems at the school and I wanted to find ways to teach him at home. The thing is, most of the excersises in the book are for 2 year olds. Actually, I wouldn't buy this book if your child is more than 3. Not that it wouldn't help the mother of 4 year olds and give her ideas, but most of the excersises start with the very simple, for 2 year old, and move to the more difficult, for 4 year olds. As the mother of a 5 year old I can only use about one eight of the excersises with my son. Also this book does not cover any excersises for reading. The author covers all that in a companion book. Another thing, the author is very religious and very Christian. I am Christian myself, so I rather like that slant, but a non-Christian mother might find it difficult to deal with, so be forwarned. In the end I liked the message in the book and I think it would be great for a mother with a child of about 2 who wanted to start home schooling or even just wanted to find activities for her little one.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!! November 25, 2007
By Kasey
Format:Paperback
I would highly recommend this book to anyone with young children. It not only discusses the 5 things we should be teaching our preschoolers, but it gives small beginning exercises that we can do with our kids. I went to the dollar store and got most everything I needed. I put together the first exercise and it kept my son busy and focused for hours. I don't think it's intended to keep them busy that long, but I was amazed.

As a teacher, I did not feel offended or defensive at all by the way the book was written. Most likely I will still send my children to preschool, but now I have some great ideas of things I can do at home to help prepare them for school. I'll be buying her other book also.

Buy this book!!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Love, love, love!
For me, this book was a total godsend. I have a 4 year old at home and one on the way. I knew early on that I wanted to homeschool our children. Read more
Published 8 months ago by K. Klor
5.0 out of 5 stars Great foundation
This book is just great. While some of activities do seem simple, they are designed to help build concentration and independence. Read more
Published on July 4, 2010 by Missyanne R. Long
5.0 out of 5 stars huge help!
I have always loved kids, and I even love teaching, but I never knew what the heck to do with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Read more
Published on March 20, 2010 by B. Minter
5.0 out of 5 stars Mommy, Teach Me!
I am new to homeschooling and wanted some resources that would be helpful for how to begin the process of teaching our young ones. Read more
Published on January 22, 2010 by J. Wood
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Waste Your $
I have read tons of books on educating preschoolers, and this one is the worst. The suggested activities are nothing that I couldn't think of on my own. Read more
Published on July 3, 2009 by T. Kwai
1.0 out of 5 stars Activities in a Vacuum
Horrible--I would not recommend wasting the time it takes to read this book. I read it front to back because I like to give a book its full due, but it was truly difficult to get... Read more
Published on May 23, 2008 by A. Ralye
5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable preschool curriculum
This book, paired with "Mommy, Teach Me to Read!" is going to become indispensable to me. I'd been overwhelmed at the thought of what to do with my 10-month-old daughter Katherine... Read more
Published on September 1, 2007 by Rebecca Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a God-send!!
I had been looking for a "curriculum" for my daughter and I'm so glad I found this book!! It's full of simple excercises and ideas to teach independence and self confidence in... Read more
Published on August 14, 2007 by Joan M. Glasgow
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiration and Ideas
Mommy, Teach Me is a quick-to-read little book chock full of practical ideas to instill independence and a foundation for learning in toddlers and preschoolers. Read more
Published on August 11, 2007 by Amanda Fowle
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