The Montessori Method (The Best Nonfiction Sellers of 1912) (Library Binding)

by maria Montessori (Author) "IT is not my intention to present a treatise on Scientific Pedagogy..." (more)
Key Phrases: geometric insets, chromatic sense, solid insets, Children's Houses, Quarter of San Lorenzo, Signor Talamo (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
"Dr. Montessori was par excellence the great interpreter of the child; and though she herself has passed on from the scene of her labours her work will still go on."--Westminster Cathedral Chronicle One of the landmark books in the history of education--and one of the least expensive editions now available--this volume describes a new system for educating youngsters. Based on a radical concept of liberty for the pupil and highly formal training of separate sensory, motor, and mental capacities, the system enabled youngsters to master reading, writing, and arithmetic rapidly and substantially. Included are discussions of scientific pedagogy; discipline; the importance of proper diet, gymnastics, and manual labor; and many other topics. Unabridged reprint of the classic 1912 edition.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Italian --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Library Binding
• Publisher: Classic Books (May 2000)
• ISBN-10: 0742612309
• ISBN-13: 978-0742612303
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,045,229 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A useful classic, but very dated, November 16, 2003

By	Nicholas Dujmovic (Vienna, Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Montessori Method (Dover Value Editions) (Paperback)

While there is much to commend this book, especially for parents of children in Montessori programs (which is why I read it), there is also much about it that is a problem. First, there is a gushiness in Montessori's utopian descriptions of how her program will create a "new man"--it's almost Leninist in its cadence, and it made me wonder whether Mussolini liked her Children's Houses. The disrespect for what children learn at home is palpable. Second, the section on the diet for children is hopelessly out of date. I'm sure her views, circa 1900, were the best science could offer, but we've gone way beyond advocating a diet rich in fats and sugar and prohibiting all milk products except butter. Third, there is too much detail for the general reader (i.e. most parents) about linguistic theory--and I really like linguistics. Her strengths, of course, are her emphases on the liberty and independence of the child (tempered by concern for society), stimulation and development of the senses, and the importance of writing. This inexpensive edition is worth having, but expect to skim a lot.

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a classic work on child pedagogy, July 17, 2002

By	Vladimir Kornea (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Montessori Method (Paperback)

Here, Maria Montessori introduces a scientific approach to pedagogy. The Montessori schools which she established and developed are intended for children three to seven years of age. The children are allowed as much freedom as possible and are provided with "didactic materials" which are various artifacts which they can use to educate themselves. They are supervised by a single directress whose primary task is to observe the children and direct their efforts by explaining to them how various didactic materials are used (it's very simple, but nothing is obvious to a young child). This book offers some valuable concete advice, but its primary use to me was as an introduction to the approach of scientific pedagogy. The basic premises as I understand them are that (1) children have a natural desire to learn and (2) one can learn how to live in freedom only by being free. These premises are fully supported and fleshed out in the book. The Montessori method achieved startling results, with four year old children (on average) learning to be masters of themselves, disciplined, benevolent, self-confident, and capable of reading and writing. Every educator should be familiar with Maria Montessori's work.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this paperback version!, July 12, 2008

By	K. Wang "bookworm" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Montessori Method (Paperback)

This paperback version published by www.bnpublishing.com (ISBN 9562915824) excludes most of the original illustrations/pictures/photos without indication in the product description, which, I think, has largely lowered the quality and damaged contents of this book. So, this book is not what it was supposed to be. Reading experience of it is terrible! My zero start for it.