Montessori from the Start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age Three (Paperback)

~ (Author), Lynn Lillard Jessen (Author) "Before we begin the chapters of practical detail that form the body of this book, it is important to visit two more areas of thought..." (more)
Key Phrases: toilet awareness, sensorial exploration, weaning table, Time Line, Young Children's Community, Sensitive Periods (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

?A major and timely contribution to the early childhood years?anecdotal, rich in insight and experience, practical and useful. This informed, careful, and intelligent response to the unfolding of personality will peak parents? interest as they learn how to establish healthy, enjoyable, and sustaining relationships with their children. A must for parents-to-be, nannies, and care-givers.? ?Virginia McHugh Goodwin, Executive Director, Association Montessori International, U.S.A. -- Review

Review

“A major and timely contribution to the early childhood years—anecdotal, rich in insight and experience, practical and useful. This informed, careful, and intelligent response to the unfolding of personality will peak parents’ interest as they learn how to establish healthy, enjoyable, and sustaining relationships with their children. A must for parents-to-be, nannies, and care-givers.” —Virginia McHugh Goodwin, Executive Director, Association Montessori International, U.S.A.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Schocken; 1 edition (July 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805211128
• ISBN-13: 978-0805211122
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #49,155 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

223 of 227 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointing, December 31, 2004

By	Alianor (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews

I worked as a Montessori teaching assistant many years ago and was already familiar with her ideas, so when my own daughter was born I was eager to put them into practice. I read a review of this book and bought it but although it has a few good suggestions, overall it was of very little use. Though the book is intended for use from birth to age 3, the focus is overwhelmingly on babyhood. If your child is already walking and you didn't use the Montessori child-bed, weaning chair, weaning table, etc, much of this book will be pointless. If you do not have the resources to buy the equipment suggested, this book will also not be of much use, because it rarely suggests inexpensive or homemade alternatives.

I also strongly object to some of the authors' suggestions in the chapter entitled "Personal Care". They recommend intensive toilet training beginning at 12-15 months, and weaning from breastfeeding at 9 months, arguing that this will foster the child's feelings of independence. Both of these suggestions are contrary to the latest advice given by childcare experts. Few children show any signs of being ready for toilet training at such a young age -- most are still learning to walk, or have recently learned to do so, and for the parent to begin intensive toilet training at this time interferes with the child's natural instincts to be on the move. Furthermore it is much easier and faster to toilet train when the child is actually ready to do so, which in the vast majority of cases is not before the age of two.

The authors' advice to wean from the breast at 9 months is contrary to that of the American Association of Pediatrics, which recommends that breastmilk be the primary source of nutrition for all of the first year. This advice can also be dangerous. On the advice of a (misguided) health professional, I limited my own child's breastfeeds when he was 9 months old to 3 times per day for a period of several weeks, which resulted in a rapid and frightening weight loss, and frequent night wakings due to hunger. The authors actually state that if your child is showing no signs of being ready for weaning, you should go ahead and wean him anyway, because you know best! This is completely contrary to the Montessori principles of respecting the child's natural intelligence.

Furthermore, I think there is too much emphasis in the book on the child learning to do things at an early age. They state that if you follow their principles, the child should be crawling by six months, walking by 10 or 11 months, talking by 14 months -- this seems to imply that Montessori education results in children who are superior simply because they can do things at an earlier age than other children.

There were only a few good suggestions for activities for toddlers, which do not merit buying the book. I am still looking for a better book which will enable me to put Montessori principles into practice in my home.

54 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK information, bad writing, May 25, 2004

By	scientific mom (Omaha, NE) - See all my reviews

This book could easily be condensed to less than half its size. It contains a few good Montessori ideas for the 3-and-under crowd when it comes to the basics - sleeping, eating, etc - but I still come away from the book wanting to know what to do with/for my child in the Montessori manner on a more daily basis. Half of the book is easily spent talking about the "child bed" and feeding table alone - and that info is spread all over the book. The writing is rather hap-hazard and rambling. I would have much prefered the book be arranged by age (ex: chapter 1: 0-6 months) then subcatagorized by subject, rather than by subject alone. The authors seem to be trying to interject Montessori theory into a book about hands-on practice, and the result is a jumbled mess.

I've learned much more about child psychological development and age-appropriate ideas from "The New First Three Years of Life" by Burton White. It is chronologically ordered, then each chapter is subcatagorized.

There's a few other Montessori books on Amazon I'm going to try instead, such as "Basic Montessori, Learning Activities for Under Fives", "Teaching Montessori in the Home, the Pre-School Years", and "Montessori Play and Learn."

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too proscriptive; misses the point, November 6, 2005

By	Dr. N. Smith - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Montessori from the Start is not for parents or teachers new to Montessori. This book does a poor job presenting an overview of Montessori philosophy (for an excellent & succinct overview of Montessori, see Kathleen Futrell's The Normalized Child), and the tone is often condescending and irritating. One part of Maria Montessori's philosophy that Lillard & Jessen never mention is 'follow the child,' presumably because they fear that parents will misinterpret that as letting the child do whatever s/he wants (which is absolutely not what M. Montessori intended). Although there is some good information in the book, Lillard & Jessen are too programmatic. Children are NOT all the same (neither are families), and M. Montessori understood that very well.

While we implement Montessori in our home, it is tailored to what we think is most appropriate for all of us. So while my son has learned to use the potty/toilet at nineteen months, he still nurses, and we sleep in a low family bed. I would not recommend this book; instead parents might like Patricia Oriti's At Home with Montessori, Angeline Stoll Lillard's Montessori: the Science behind the Genius, and of course Maria Montessori's The Secret of Childhood to get a better idea for how to bring Montessori into the home.