Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook (Dover Books on Biology, Psychology, and Medicine) [Paperback]

Maria Montessori (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dover Books on Biology, Psychology, and Medicine | Publication Date: September 13, 2005

One of the truly great books on early childhood development, this brief guide instructs parents and teachers on how to use familiar, easy-to-obtain classroom materials to make the home an effective learning environment. The book covers methods for engaging youngsters in learning while stimulating and honing their visual, auditory, and tactile perceptions. 43 illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

A short, illustrated guide to the use of Montessori classroom materials. Describes how to set up a "children's house" - an environment for learning where children can be their own masters. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (September 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486445259
• ISBN-13: 978-0486445250
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,716,351 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highlights basic teaching methods and apparatus., April 24, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook (Paperback)

This short book is like an Army basic training manual. Montessori teaching methods are described in detail, like recipes in a cookbook. An interesting section on food for children recommends large amounts of fat and sugar foods and therefore seems outdated. The systematic order achieved by the method is described as desirable while too much variety and child/teacher interaction is regarded as undesirable. The book warns that over-stimulating a child's imagination could cause him or her to miss the purpose of the lessons (tell that to Barney). The author's works have a ring of truth throughout and are valuable because of the spirit they convey even today.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars great insight into Montessori's mind, not a how to book, April 29, 2008

By 

Deee Lovely "deeeelovely" (Ashburn, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook (Paperback)

This book is great for explaining the very basics of the montessori manipulatives and their primary function. it's good for background and knowledge into Montessori's methods and thinking (for primary aged children). It is NOT, however, a how to or instruction guide for Montessori. you won't gleen much about how to use things (other than one or maybe two basic functions) from this book. for that you need montessori albums, which will cost you a considerable amount of money.

i think this book is useful to people wanting to know more about Montessori and how she came up with the manips themselves or saw the children react to them but if you're trying to emulate the montessori method in your home and need more information, your money would be better spent elsewhere. for that i would recommend: Teaching Montessori in the Home by Elizabeth Hainstock.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Montesori for insiders, April 5, 2011

By 

Katarina - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook (Paperback)

I have purchased this book to get as close as possible to Dr Montessori's thoughts and get a big picture of what Montessori really is - straight from the author. This book is great at that, but I was very disappointed to find that the thin brochure has very poor layout - like a printed word document bound into paperback. And no figures are included at all, although they are mentioned in text. A list of Montessori tools is also useless without figures and illustrations, because one can not visualise what the text is describing. So, all in all, this does not help a parent in actually working the Montessori way - this is more or less just a chain of thoughts that are behind the method. For a practical demonstration some other book must be selected.