Montessori Learning in the 21st Century: A Guide for Parents and Teachers Paperback – November 1, 2011

I just finished reading this book and Im' quite sad it finished. I read this book in 4 days. I couldn't put it down. I'm new to Montessori so I recognized that there is a lot of basic information here. But, I'm in love with the author writing style. She uses the inclusive language ("he" and "she") which is a delight. I have four years of doctorate studies in Clinical Psychology from a medical school so I'm really mesmerized by the author's presentation of this information. Is very simple, clear and yet deep. Montessori philosophy makes so much sense for me now seeing it from this brain research perspective. I hope to see more books from Shannon. I'm a fan.

We live in a time of growing awareness of how infancy and early childhood experiences shape personality and influence an individual's future. Helfrich aptly names this "The Century of the Child," explaining the emerging brain research that informs this growing awareness and how consistent it is with Maria Montessori's theory of education. Then Helfrich makes her insights practical, with suggestions for parents of infants and young children. She describes ways to enhance their children's development through simple alterations in the home and ways of relating to their offspring. This book is full of excellent parenting advice and also explains how Montessori classrooms support preschoolers huge capacity for learning.

Homeschooling truly starts at birth, but because I now have a preschooler who according to society's expectations should be at school, I've been researching Montessori methods, hoping to find ways to incorporate some of that thought and process into our homeschool experience. "Montessori Learning in the 21st Century" by Shannon Helfrich was very interesting, but not what I was looking for.Helfrich, a Montesorri teacher trainer, examiner and consultant, offers a very good argument for Montessori style learning. She discusses Maria Montessori, her motivation, and her methods as well as explores child development, sensory learning, and language acquisition. This is a book primarily about theory and as such it is intelligent and informative. Chapter Eleven, "This is my Montessori School" is the only one to offer concrete ideas about how to implement Montessori-style methods, but even that is not a how-to manual.If you are looking for the theory and educational basis behind a Montessori education, this is the book for you. If you are searching for a practical how-to guide, search elsewhere.

Great read!! Shannon has done a great job of tying Montessori principles developed over 100 years ago with current brain research. This makes a great case for the relevance of Montessori today. In addition, this book is a nice reference for teachers and parents alike as Shannon offers great tips for integrating Montessori at home and school.

This is a good read for someone (like me) who is new to the Montessori method of teaching.

Very inspiring, touching book. It makes ma think of my journey of being a good and encouraging mom. Thank you!

Excellent overview of Montessori principles.

A great book for a book study!