In How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way, Tim Seldin, President of the Montessori Foundation, offers parents a blueprint of how to incorporate Dr. Maria Montessori’s methods of education at home.

Who is Dr. Maria Montessori?

Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952) was the first Italian woman to become a doctor. In 1907, she saw the need for a nursery for working-class children in Rome’s slums. There, she opened her first Casa dei Bambini or “children’s house.” She taught the children how to help with everyday tasks, made child-size objects to alleviate frustration, and created “calm and orderly environments in which everything has an allocated place.”

She also identified sensitive periods for learning from birth to age six, ages and stages at which children are most apt to learn movement, language, order, grace and courtesy, music, writing, reading, and math. In the Montessori method, children are treated with respect. There are ground rules they must follow, but they also have a great deal of choice about their activities. “Children who are treated with respect and who are encouraged to try new skills learn more readily to do things for themselves.”

Practical Methods

How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way offers sections on caring for babies, discovering through the senses, developing independence in doing household chores, maintaining peace in your home, exploring the wider world, and determining the best time to learn new skills. Each of these sections offers practical suggestions you will be able to implement in your home. You will learn how to create different sensory activities, provide step-by-step instructions for household tasks, understand your child’s unique personality, teach manners, make smart choices regarding screen time, explore nature, and help your children learn to read and do basic math.  

For those who may wish to enroll their children in a formal Montessori program, there are also tips on choosing a quality Montessori school.