Montessori from the Start

The Montessori method begins with acknowledging a child as a developing but incomplete individual. Being developing but incomplete, she needs help in facilitation rather than education in the conventional sense, which tends to be pre-packaged and indoctrinating. Being an individual, she is on a journey to adulthood that is her own, with an inner self to emerge and a will to grow. Her goal is a reflective person who knows her way and summons her will to walk in it. There is a properly spiritual dimension that appeals immediately to me. According to the authors who founded their own Montessori school over twenty years ago, "Montessori children" are known for their calmness and inner strength.

While the method normally applies to school-aged children, this book claims to be the first attempt to extend it to babies below three in the home context. I think the authors have succeeded in piecing together a coherent and convincing picture, from years of experience in the field, as well as their own families. (The second author is in fact daughter of the first who raised her in the Montessori manner.) The theory is well formulated and clearly presented, with detailed advice on practical matters such as helping babies to sleep, food, clothings, toilet, etc. that are derived from it. It therefore reads coherent and whole, unlike many other baby care books that tend to appear piecemeal and ad hoc.

This book is especially challenging to parents in modern societies, who tend to distract their children from their individual missions with many toys and activities. It may not be far-fetched to speculate that it has helped cause the increasing problem of attention deficiency among children today. Whether it is or not, the Montessori method for babies and up should be its direct prevention.


Practical ideas to respect the innate development of the child   November 10, 2006
Ms. R. Freedman
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

As an AMI trained Montessori teacher, I thought this book was fantastic! It covers the basic principles of Dr Montessori's work and gives excellent advice on helping your child develop to his or her full potential.

I had a friend with a 15 month old boy who had started banging his head on the floor and she could not work out what was wrong with him! I was reading this book at the time and I told her that the child of around this age is trying to challenge himself to use his new-found strength in his arm muscles as well as his new skill in standing steadily.

I asked her what was his favourite thing to do at the moment and she said he kept going over to their fireplace and trying to pick up a heavy, beautifully-carved, stone horse. She kept taking the horse from him and picking him up and moving him away from the fireplace because, quite rightly, she did not want him playing in a fireplace!

I suggested that he had merely found an excellent challenge for himself in the horse and that maybe he was not interested in the fireplace at all. She moved the horse to a different place in the room and her little boy did not go back to the fireplace but to the horse and when she left him to try and pick it up, without interfering, he did it and the happiness and sense of self achievement that shone out of him was wonderful!

It had been very difficult for her not to interrupt his efforts and pick up the horse for him, to 'help' him, but she had held herself back and her son had shown her the fundamental human spirit - that of self development and the innate drive towards challenge and progress and 'work' with a purpose (his work at that time was to develop his muscle strength and balance while carrying a heavy object, now that he could stand of his own accord).

This book focuses on allowing your child to be a valuable member of his family and environment through involving him in practical activities and letting him play or work or whatever we call it, without constant interruption - observing his efforts and respecting them and his natural development.

The parent needs to withdraw and provide only what help is necessary - tiny bits, rather than doing everything for the child - doing 'for' the child is not help - helping the child to do it 'for himself' is the way forward. Show your child then let him repeat it for himself, to make it his own. We cannot walk for the child or eat for the child - why do we try to do practically everything else for the child?

We must respect the child's task of becoming a human being adapted to his or her time, place, culture and country. The child is born with nothing and must create everything within himself. We must respect and help him to achieve this to the best of his abilities, observing to see what he is interested in at any one time and trying to provide useful help and activities for his development.