Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook

Here is the book that started it all: the definitive manual written by Maria Montessori herself, setting down the philosophy and materials that would transform early childhood education worldwide. Moving far beyond a simple instruction guide, this handbook reveals the radical insight that drove Montessori's work, children, when given freedom and appropriate materials, will educate themselves with an energy and joy that adult-imposed lessons can never match. She describes the specially designed apparatus for developing sensory perception, language, and motor skills, but more importantly, she explains the reasoning behind each material, the observations of children that led to their creation, and the profound respect for the child's natural development that underlies the entire method. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what Montessori actually believed, rather than the diluted versions that often circulate in schools and parenting books.