Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
113th out of 303 books
—
225 voters
Montessori Madness!: A Parent to Parent Argument for Montessori Education
We know we need to improve our traditional school system, both public and private. But how? More homework? Better-qualified teachers? Longer school days or school years? More testing? More funding? No, no, no, no, and no. Montessori Madness! explains why the incremental steps politicians and administrators continue to propose are incremental steps in the wrong direction. T...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
January 1st 2009
by Sevenoff
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
227)
Wow! As an educator and a veteran of public schools, I highly recommend this book to anyone who is considering schools for their children. This book caused me to take action. It gave me the motivation, that I didn't even know I was lacking, to withdraw my son from his traditional school and enroll him in Montessori. If you are the least bit dissatisfied with the educational system that is currently steering the formation of young children, then read this book. It offers a valid response to the c...more
While not perfect, I really appreciate that Eissler has written a book about Montessori that is more accessible to the average parent. Of course there are other books that explore Montessori's methods and philosophy more thoroughly and there are the many books written by Maria herself, this book isn't nearly as dense and I think would be more easily understood by a parent new to Montessori. I thought Eissler's examples of Montessori's principles in real life (such as in his career as a pilot) we...more
I was searching for info on Montessori as I was considering a preschool move for my son. This book did not do a whole lot to convince me. It was disjointed. He told a story about the struggles of his preemie son and tried to relate it to why Montessori is superior to other preschool options. I was actually put off by the first few chapters that attacked public school and standardization. Yes, it'd be great if we could all wander through life and do whatever we'd like at any given time without re...more
There were some good points, but you can't express how wonderful Montessori is by bashing public school. Montessori is a wonderful way for children to learn, but a lot also depends on their teachers, much like public school. Public school teachers have a lot more 'stuff' to deal with and sometimes I am amazed that they have enough energy to teach at all. Both systems can good and/or bad, there are a lot of factors to consider. Both of my children were educated as 'Montessori Kids' (one for 3 yea...more
Why, why, why does the only Montessori school in town have to be 30 minutes from our house? This method has worked so well for MY son. He is thriving. I appreciate how this method has allowed my son to learn things at his pace and by utilizing his interests. I also like how his teachers are able to address discipline privately because they are not instructing an entire classroom at any given time. I think the main point to remember is that children are ready to learn when they are ready to learn...more
This book is good for those familiar with Montessori to gain a better understanding of how the Montessori method reaches its goals. However, the author seems quite heavy-handed with conventional education based on his own experiences decades ago. That is not to say his critiques are completely invalid, but his argument is far less convincing because it is based on old anecdotes rather than contemporaneous observations. Additionally, the author spends an inordinate amount of time using unrelated...more
I have heard so many positive things about Montessori education and am considering a primary program for one of my children. That being said, I did not enjoy this book. It's obvious that the author is very passionate about Montessori education, and he is probably a great speaker on the subject. The book, however, was tedious and rambling. I'm not sure it really taught me any new info about Montessori schooling. I also thought he tended to overgeneralize the cons of traditional schooling and sor...more
A great idea to write about Montessori from a parents perspective and there is a lot of wonderful stuff in this book that helps explain, in laymen's terms, some of the ways in which a Montessori education can benefit children. Despite the fact that I have 2 children in Montessori (ages 10 and 6) and we are BIG fans of the educational philosophy, I found this book has some disappointments mostly with regard to it being amateurishly written and edited. I would still recommend a new parent read thi...more
A very passionate review of Montessori methods from one parent's perspective. This book made me want to read more objective studies about the differences in teaching/learning, and hear directly from Montessori herself. I think Mr. Eissler is a little harsh on traditional schooling (many modern teachers use Montessori-type techniques these days...it's not all drill and kill as it was when he was in school) but his point still remains. Children learn a lot of hidden lessons in traditional school -...more
Explains really clearly why Montessori is such a natural and superior way for kids to learn. While demonstrating over and over why standard schooling is so unnatural and such an abysmal failure.
After reading this book you'll find yourself wondering how anybody could tolerate standard schooling and why all schools don't adopt the Montessori method.
One criticism I have is that some of the examples he offers and arguments he makes can sometimes be a bit simplistic or biased.
After reading this book you'll find yourself wondering how anybody could tolerate standard schooling and why all schools don't adopt the Montessori method.
One criticism I have is that some of the examples he offers and arguments he makes can sometimes be a bit simplistic or biased.
This book was a much more engaging and accessible book about the Montessori philosophy. I still don't like how much traditional school bashing there is, but at least the parts that weren't talking about how abysmal my education was were written in a way that was less dry. I saw Trevor Eissler speak at Montessori School of Denver a few weeks ago and he's very entertaining and passionate about this, which I can appreciate.
This is a wonderful book for starting to understand Maria Montessori and the Montessori Method. This whole book was in Eissler's, a parent himself, and his views and perspectives of Montessori. He personalizes and brings experienced examples to explain and express his feelings. It was an outstanding introduction to the Montessori Method!
If you can make yourself get past this horrible title, then you might realize what I did: this is a great book for introducing key Montessori ideas to parents. written by a parent for parents. I've recommended this book to several families already. (maybe the 2nd ed. will have a better tittle...)
This is a super book written from the perspective of a fellow parent --not a teacher, not a psychologist, not even someone who is a Montessori trained. It's easy to understand, written in "layman's" terms, and fully explains really why I love the Montessori approach so much.
I read this with my book club. It really helped to clearly show what the Montessori method is for those of us who have not studied education of children. It is written by a parent. I would recommend this book to any parent or educator.
Best Montessori book written for Parents that I've read yet. focuses on Montessori in Elementary education, not just preschool. Only made me feel more strongly about sending my girls to Montessori for Elementary.
I really enjoyed reading this book. My girls currently attend Montessori for elementary and primary school. I just know in my heart and soul that Montessori is the right method for us. But it was so nice to hear stories from another parent. I want to be able to explain myself to others without sounding elitist or anti-public school. I just wish everyone could go to our Montessori.
I was sent this book by Trevor Eissler many (many) months ago. IO finally got around to reading it... and was pretty much blown away. This will now be my go-to book to recommend to any parent curious about Montessori. He explains all the benefits of a Montessori education beautifully, utilizing examples of his children's experiences in Montessori to help illustrate different points. He also often speaks of how many of the principles of Montessori are applicable to so many other areas of life, su...more
The director of the Montessori that both of my kids attend provided this book to all of the parents of the school. I think it is a good introduction to Montessori philosophy and methods and was fun to consider in light of my own Montessori education as a child as well as my current role as a parent. The drawbacks are the same as those mentioned by other reviewers, especially too much bashing of the public school system, which has certainly changed in the last 30 years. However, the book was acce...more
As if I needed convincing...but still, this book reinforces and also helps provide some language when talking to friends and family.
Decent review of Montesorri techniques and how current school techniques are madness, but I expected more inquiry into the possibility of public Montessori schools. Stopped halfway through because I didn't need another book-length definition of Montessori.
This book reminded me of the core reasons why I drive 60 miles a day so our kids can attend a public Montessori school. He does come across a bit strong and if my kids weren't in a Montessori school already, I might feel guilty, but I think that's part of his passion.
This is the best explanation of Montessori I've ever read.
Very easy read covering the main topics of the philosophy.
A great introduction into Montessori education from the parent's perspective. Highly recommend to anyone with children.
Jun 18, 2013
Martha
marked it as to-read
Jun 11, 2013
Jenny
is currently reading it
Jun 11, 2013
Nidhi
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Mar 09, 2013 02:07pm