Books I Recommend

The Red Letter Alphabet  Book -- Similar to the number book, this is probably best for children around 18 months - 2 years and up.  A nice book for learning sounds associated with letters (sort of like a portable set of Sandpaper Letters).

Montessori Play & Learn:  A Parents Guide to Purposeful Play from Two to Six -- This book has great color photos and a brief overview of the Montessori method.  Rather than outline specific works you'd see in a classroom, it suggests ways to "bring Montessori home" and to look for learning opportunities in daily life.

Basic Montessori:  Learning Activities for Under-Fives -- This book outlines Maria Montessori's theories and then gives step-by-step directions for presenting her works.  An excellent resource for those without training or an album of their own.

Teaching Montessori in the Home:  The School Years -- This book is a sequel to one written for preschoolers.  It is a great resource for language and math works made for children up to 9 or 10 years old.

How to Use Child-Sized Masterpieces for Art Appreciation -- Great how-to guide for introducing young children to paintings and art appreciation.  Starting with 3-year-olds, you can teach children to match and pair great works of art with postcard reproductions of great works.  While this book outlines how to present the material, it also gives the resources for ordering the art postcards and folders, too.

Your Child's Health  -- This book has clear guidelines with lists of symptoms to tell you when you should call the doctor's office during office hours, when to call outside of office hours and when you need to seek immediate medical attention.

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk -- A helpful book loaded with suggestions on improving communication between adults and children.  It's loaded with cartoons and an enjoyable read.

Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius -- Links current research with observations made by Maria Montessori many decades ago.

The Good Shepherd & The Child -- This book includes writings from the two founders of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd movement.  It is a short paperback that is a great introduction to those wanting to learn more about CGS.  There are two other authors as well, with writings on the child in the family and the fact that the Good Shepherd calls His sheep by name.

The Absorbent Mind
Teach Me to Do It Myself
Montessori from the Start
The Mass Explained to Children
The Religious Potential of the Child, 6 to 12 Years Old
Back to the Family
At Home with Montessori -- A simple, short booklet about how to set up your home in a way that encourages independence for children.  With a lot of pictures, it's ideal for a parent-teacher discussion and could help bridge the gap (sometimes experiences) between school and home.

The Reed of God -- A wonderful book by Caryll Houselander about what is essential in the Christian life.  Good section on work.

-- Edited by E. M. Standing.  A must have.  If not available through Amazon, try The Catholic Shop

Effective Discipline the Montessori Way by Charlotte Cushman.  On balance this is a good, basic, no-nonsense traditional approach to discipline for young children.

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