Recommendations

What can we learn from Montessori methodology? Oh, the list is so long... a reverence for humanity and individuality, how to serve a child without indulging, why Montessorians don't "teach" but rather facilitate, how the curriculum and materials allow the children to soar in understanding and appreciation of expansive concepts, etc. Beyond these philosophical tenets, we can also learn how to interact with our children, how to allow them the lead without losing respect, how we can trust our children to develop well and relax a little as parents. The parenting resources in this section have been specifically selected for their alignment to the Montessori ideals. Check back often for updates!

Articles of Interest

Montessori Myths
There are so many myths about Montessori. On a trip to Vietnam I once encountered a public school principal concerned that Montessori wouldn’t work there because, she said, “Montessori is all about the individual, and here we believe in cooperation.” I have heard the opposite, too, of course. A father from Texas told me with perfect... [read more]

Grades, Success and Tiger Mothers
On January 8, The Wall Street Journal published an upsettingarticle by author Amy Chua titled “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior”. An excerpt from her new book, the article claims that the secret to academic success is tyrannical control over the child. Ms. Chua proudly explains that her two daughters were never allowed... [read more]

Beware! The Age of Rudeness
“Ever since Jill started in first grade, she’s become louder, messier, and not as kind as she was in kindergarten. I think her first grade classroom must be the reason she is the way she is,” Jill’s mother, Paula, said. Susan, a former kindergarten and first-grade teacher, smiled. “Paula, I heard this every year... [read more]

17 Ways to Avoid Power Struggles
Everyone wants to feel powerful. Our children are not exempt from these feelings so the more we can do to give them appropriate ways to feel powerful, the less power STRUGGLES we will have with them. If a child feels valued, loved and respected, he will still create power struggles because he is human. But if parents... [read more]

101 Ways to Help a Montessori Child

No More Junk Toys
One night, not long after Christmas, my pacifist friends Jay Levy and Su Zuniga quietly crept down to the basement with a hammer while their three-year-old daughter, Samantha, slept. There, they methodically banged on the belly of her new mechanical dog until it stopped... [read more]

Superwoman Was Already Here
And she gave us a superb educational model to end the “Race to Nowhere.” Her name was Dr. Maria Montessori and in the first half of the 20th century she pioneered and refined the Montessori method of education. Today, there are over 17,000 Montessori schools worldwide including thousands of preschools in the USA and hundreds of Montessori schools in the U.S... [read more]

Profile of a Good Parent
Good parents bring notepads to teacher conferences. They come prepared and ask intelligent, insightful questions. They jot down notes about play dates, private lessons, IQ tests, educational evaluations, semesters with tutors. Sometimes the notepad alleviates boredom. Sometimes it buffers frustration... [read more]

Books for Parents

Above All, Be Kind: Raising a Humane Child in Challenging Times
by Zoe Weil Calm

Compassionate Children: A Handbook
by Susan Usha Dermond

Children Learn What They Live
by Dorothy Law Nolte Ph.D. and
Rachel Harris L.C.S.W. Ph.D.

Children Who Are Not Yet Peaceful – Preventing Exclusion in the Early
Elementary Classroom
by Donna Bryant Goertz

Curriculum of Love: Cultivating the Spiritual Nature of Children
by Morgan Simone Daleo and Frank Riccio

The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything
by Sir Ken Robinson

Evolution's End
by Joseph Chilton Pearce

Failing at Fairness: How Schools Cheat Girls
by Myrna and David Sadker

Failure to Connect: How Computers Affect Our Children’s Minds – And What We Can Do About It.
by Jane Healy

Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life
by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

The Geography of Childhood: Why Children Need Wild Places
by Gary Paul Nabhan and Stephen Trimble

Graceful Parenting: Simple Advice for Raising a Gentle and Loving Child [Hardcover]
by Eve M. Dreyfus

How to Raise Self-Reliant Children in a
Self-Indulgent World
by Stephen Glenn

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen
by Adele Faber

The Hurried Child
by David Elkind

In Their Own Way
by Thomas Armstrong

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
by Richard Louv

A Mind at a Time
by Mel Levine

Montessori Madness: A Parent to Parent Argument for Montessori Education
by Trevor Eissler

Moral Life of Children
by Robert Coles

One Hundred Child Development Tips
Insights and Suggestions from Montessori Teachers

Out-of-Sync Child – Recognizing & Coping with Sensory Integration Dysfunction
by Carol Stock Kranowitz

Parenting From Your Heart: Sharing the Gifts of Compassion, Connection, and Choice (Nonviolent Communication Guides) [Paperback]
by Inbal Kashtan

Parenting Young Children and The Parents Handbook
STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting) books
by Don Dinkmeyer and Gary McKay

Positive Discipline
by Jane Nelson

Punished By Rewards
by Alfie Kohn

Raising Cain – Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys
by Dan Kindlon & Michael Thompson

Raising Children Compassionately (RCC): Parenting the Nonviolent Communication Way (Nonviolent Communication Guides)
by Marshall B. Rosenberg

Raising Self-Reliant Children in a Self Indulgent World
by H. Stephen Gould & Jane Nelson

Raising Your Spirited Child
by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

Read Aloud Handbook
by Jim Trelease

Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls
by Mary Pipher

Shelter of Each Other: Rebuilding Our Families
by Mary Pipher

Tomorrow's Children
by Rianne Eisler

Unconditional Parenting
by Alfie Kohn

Wonder of Boys
by Michael Gurian

Inspiring Videos

Montessori and the Future of Education

Dr. Steve Hughes, Pediatric Neuropsychologist at University of Minnesota Medical School in a promotional video for www.MariaMontessori.com -- a project from the Montessori Administrators Association launching in late 2009.

Efficient Education

Fred Catlin, Head of School at Thacher Montessori School in Milton, Massachusetts speaks to emotional intelligence through Montessori education.

Internal Compass

Wendy Calise, Head of School at Countryside Montessori School in Northbrook, Illinois speaks to the importance of investing in your child's education now.

Imagine a School

"Imagine a School: Montessori for Elementary Aged Children" combines scenes from two public and four private Montessori schools to show the effectiveness of this philosophy of education. This video challenges parents to "imagine a school" where education is hands-on, multi-age and takes place in a cooperative community of learners.

next: our montessori leaders