Active
Learning for Infants (Addison-Wesley Active Learning Series) by Debby Cryer, Thelma Harms, Beth
Bourland
"Over 300 innovative and easy-to-do
activities!"
"As a care provider for infants and a parent
of an infant, I have used this book again and again! The activities are
simple and developmentally appropriate. It is so helpful to have a resource
like this on those days when you just can't think of anything different
to do! The developmental charts are extremely helpful. I often reference
this book when conducting workshops for infant care providers. The entire
'active learning series' is a must have for my program! I lend my book
out so frequently, that I may need a second for myself!" (Amazon.com customer
review.)
"Being a new mom of a toddler
I really needed help with activities for my son. This book is great. The
information and charts are a great way to keep take of my son's development.
A must for new moms." (Amazon.com customer review.)
"This is one of the best books that I have
found for infants and toddlers. I really like the way that they not only
break down the ages but also the developmental areas. The book makes it
very easy to make lesson plans but it also makes it easy to pick out activties
to do with your young child. These authors have done a wonderful job with
this book and also the Creavtive Resources book for 3-5 year olds. I had
the 3-5 year version along with others resource books that were made available
to my teachers in a child care setting to use for making lesson plans and
Creative Resources was the one that was used most often." (Amazon.com customer
review.)
Education for
a New World (The Clio Montessori Series) by Maria Montessori
"The psychic life in the new-born
has already aroused great interest. The conclusion of research is that
the
first two years of life are the most important. So here begins a new
path, wherein it will not be the professor [the teacher] who teaches the
child but the child who teaches the professor [the teacher]."--Nienhuis
Books & Publications
"At less than 100 pages, this book is easy
to take in, while still containing fundamental principles of Montessori's
theory of education, especially as relevant to 3- to 6-year-olds. The writing
is engaging, not academic. I can easily recommend it to be the first or
only book by Dr. Montessori for the parent of a toddler to read."--Reviewer:
Brad S. Williams (Portland, OR USA)
More...
(You
can always change your mind!) Publisher: Theosophical
Publishing House; (June 1974); hardcover edition buy
used
"I always thought playing Mozart
to kids to make them smart sounded fishy. What does an infant have it to
compare to? To them Mozart is no different than Metallica. Sure, they respond
to music, but the type is nearly irrelevant. Also, the array of electronic
gadgets and learning systems often ignore the basic ways infants learn.
Some of those things have their place, but at later ages. Don't get caught
up in the deceptive marketing and money pits. Often it's simple toys and
interaction that work." (Amazon.com customer review.)
"I can't recommend this book enough
to all new moms (and older ones too). It is truly one of the best books,
if not THE best, out there to help moms ENJOY those early years of mothering.
"My advice? Buy at least 5 copies. One
for yourself and four more to give out at Baby Showers." (Amazon.com customer
review.)
"I loved this book! If I had the money
I would buy one for every mom I know! The author had so many great ideas
about being a parent and how to raise your children in a way that will
encourage them to be all that God has for them. I felt very inspired after
reading this to try to be more patient and enjoy every minute with my daughter,
even when she insists on doing things her way :). I have started modifying
things around the house so she can do things more independently and she
really does beam when she accomplishes a new task. I encourage you to get
a copy of this book and start trying some of the suggestions! I'm already
looking forward to rereading this again." (Amazon.com customer review.)
Montessori
from the Start: The Child at Home from Birth to Age Three by Paula Polk Lillard (Author of Montessori
Today, Montessori in the Classroom, and Montessori: A Modern Approach)
This book has had some mixed reviews.
I still recommend it, however: there are some "nuggets" in it, but some
of it is outdated (like, allowing an infant to "cry it out"). The book
reads like a Montessori infant training program manual and I am guessing
that is what she based it on, her infant Montessori training from twenty
or thirty years ago.
My Montessori (infant) philosophy is more
progressive and I am less rigid--you will know what I mean after reading
the book (and or some of the reviews on Amazon.com!).
As a footnote, my mother-in-law is 65 and
my how things have changed in terms of how you take care of an infant
today versus 35 years ago! My mother-in-law and I often "compare notes"
when taking care of my son. That is what it is like to read Lillard's book!
Things our parents did 35 years ago we just don't do today! (I'm lucky
my mother-in-law is "nice" about it, and good humored!) So you may have
this experience with your own parents or in-laws, ESPECIALLY if you are
doing it "Montessori" style--in the end, you THE MOM (and dad) are in charge!
--Lisa Nolan Montessori
From the Back Cover
“A major and timely contribution to the
early childhood years—anecdotal, rich in insight and experience, practical
and useful. This informed, careful, and intelligent response to the unfolding
of personality will peak parents’ interest as they learn how to establish
healthy, enjoyable, and sustaining relationships with their children. A
must for parents-to-be, nannies, and care-givers.” —Virginia McHugh Goodwin,
Executive Director, Association Montessori International, U.S.A.
About the Author
"Paula Polk Lillard and her daughter,
Lynn Lillard Jessen, co-founded the Forest Bluff School in Lake Bluff,
Illinois, a Montessori school for children through the eighth grade. Paula
is the principal of the school, and she and Lynn teach the parent child
course, a workshop for parents on the Montessori approach for children
from birth to age three. They live in Lake Forest, Illinois." More...
(You can always change your mind!)
Reclaiming Childhood:
Letting Children Be Children in Our Achievement-Oriented Society by William Crain
From Booklist
"Crain, a developmental psychologist,
laments the ceaseless schedule of activities for most American children
that leaves them little time and energy for the typical childhood pursuits
of a less restless and ambitious age. Crain worries that by focusing so
much on preparing children for a competitive future, we are stunting their
growth and neglecting their here-and-now needs and desires. He specifically
examines current trends, from emphasis on standardized tests to the birth-to-three
early-development movement, and contrasts them with the child-centered
philosophies of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Dewey, MariaMontessori,
Jean Piaget, and David Elkind. He advocates a more natural learning rhythm
and an environment that takes advantage of children's own natural curiosity,
with adults providing an "unobtrusive presence." Crain offers advice, based
on research and interviews with parents and children, on how parents and
educators can provide a more child-centered model for education that takes
cues from the children themselves and respects their efforts to learn on
their own. A thoughtful and valuable resource for parents and teachers
looking for alternative approaches to education."-- Vanessa Bush
"[This book...] made me recall the year
I spent conducting research in preschool classrooms. I visited many wonderful
preschools, but I remember being particularly struck by the atmosphere
in the Montessori classroom I visited. There was a sense of calm there
that I have never seen anywhere else. At first it seemed eerie; surely
these kids were being coerced into behaving so quietly and going about
their business in such an orderly graceful way. I remember in particular
the child who was bringing around a tray of nuts that he had shelled and
offering them graciously to the other children. But the longer I stayed,
the more I realized that this deep sense of peacefulness originated from
the kids' satisfaction in being allowed to choose their own tasks at their
own pace."(Amazon.com customer review.) More...
"This is an extrememly concise,
but informative and entertaining video about how crucial it is that early
on children get interaction with adults that can aid their brain development."--Amazon.com
reviewer
"Truly amazing information. Forget all
the fancy toys and games for our babies and children. Let's give them what
they really need. This DVD explains child development in easy to understand
terms."--Amazon.com reviewer
