The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being by Simone Davies, Hiyoko Imai

Turn your home into a Montessori home--and become a more mindful, attentive, and easygoing parent.It's time to change the way we see toddlers. Using the principles developed by the educator Dr. Maria Montessori, Simone Davies shows how to turn life with a terrible two into a mutually rich and rewarding time of curiosity, learning, respect, and discovery.With hundreds of practical ideas for every aspect of living with a toddler, here are five principles for feeding your child's natural curiosity, from Trust in the child to Fostering a sense of wonder. Step-by-step ways to cultivate daily routines with ease, like brushing teeth, toilet-training, dealing with siblings, losing the pacifier. Plus learn how to: Stay composed when your toddler is not and set limits with love and respect--without resorting to bribes or punishmentSet up your home and get rid of the chaosCreate Montessori activities that are just right for your one-to-three-year-oldRaise an inquisitive learner who loves exploring the world around themSee the world through your toddler's eyes and be surprised and delighted by their perspectiveBe your child's guide--and truly celebrate every stageEditorial Reviews01/07/2019This graceful guide to parenting toddlers within the Montessori educational philosophy teaches adults with the same spirit of gentleness, presenting a coherent, attractive system while simultaneously breaking its instruction down into small, understandable chunks that seem reasonable to master. Davies, a Montessori teacher in Amsterdam, presents a new picture of the toddler as an engaged, forgiving, and highly capable young human being. She begins by explaining Montessori principles, which encourage independence and practical skill-building in children within a carefully prepared classroom, then moves to an extensive list of typical activities. A section on applying these principles to make one's household child-friendly stresses uncluttered simplicity, to ensure go-to items aren't buried in the back of a closet. But the heart of Davies's teaching lies not in home decor but in encouraging toddlers' curiosity while helping them feel validated, and setting limits without making threats. Perhaps most importantly, Davies guides parents toward calmly being the adult without arbitrarily exercising power. Regardless of whether the family chooses a Montessori preschool, Davies's primer, bolstered by her deep belief in the Montessori approach and respect for young children as they are, will be highly valuable for parents. (Mar.) - Publishers WeeklyThis graceful guide to parenting toddlers within the Montessori educational philosophy teaches adults with the same spirit of gentleness, presenting a coherent, attractive system while simultaneously breaking its instruction down into small, understandable chunks that seem reasonable to master. --Publishers WeeklyWith every page chock-full of plans for how to make one's home a haven for a youngster's intellectual and emotional growth, this valuable manual fills a gap on a topic not as frequently addressed in the literature on toddler development. --Library Journal This is a down-to-earth, accessible book that makes Montessori at home doable. She provides clear ideas for discipline and parenting, and it's written in a friendly, parent-to-parent way. --Book Riot- From the Publisher02/01/2019Toddlers are a misunderstood population, according to Montessori teacher and blogger Davies (The Montessori Notebook), who facilitates online workshops for raising responsible, curious children, modeled after the work of Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori (1870-1952). Montessori posited that education, not medicine, was the answer to improving the health of children with emotional and mental disabilities and went on to develop successful schools that have produced graduates such as Jeff Bezos and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Davies lays out the basic principles of Montessori child-centered learning, in which students work at their own pace within a prepared environment using hands-on concrete materials. Alongside photographs and Imai's charming illustrations are ideas for setting up a learning-friendly environment and addressing self-care for adults as well as daily care for toddlers. VERDICT With every page chock-full of plans for how to make one's home a haven for a youngster's intellectual and emotional growth, this valuable manual fills a gap on a topic not as frequently addressed in the literature on toddler development.- Library Journal03/01/2019Toddlers are a misunderstood population, according to Montessori teacher and blogger Davies (The Montessori Notebook), who facilitates online workshops for raising responsible, curious children, modeled after the work of Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori (1870-1952). Montessori posited that education, not medicine, was the answer to improving the health of children with emotional and mental disabilities and went on to develop successful schools that have produced graduates such as Jeff Bezos and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Davies lays out the basic principles of Montessori child-centered learning, in which students work at their own pace within a prepared environment using hands-on concrete materials. Alongside photographs and Imai's charming illustrations are ideas for setting up a learning-friendly environment and addressing self-care for adults as well as daily care for toddlers. VERDICT With every page chock-full of plans for how to make one's home a haven for a youngster's intellectual and emotional growth, this valuable manual fills a gap on a topic not as frequently addressed in the literature on toddler development.Julia M. Reffner, Richmond, VA- School Library Journal