Ballantine The Secret of Childhood

I bought this book as part of my Montessori training but I read it before the training even started. I could not put it down. If you want to understand the world from a child's perspective, understand why children do what they do and how you can help them realise their potential, then I suggest you read this. Not only if you are a teacher or work with children. This knowledge and understanding is fundamental for everyone, every parent and every human being. It is time we treated our children correctly and supported them rather than standing in their way! There's a very interesting section on deviations in this book. So if you have a so called difficult or problematic child, I suggest you read this. Montessori describes here why no child is naughty by nature and how often it is actually the adult's fault that children develop these deviations. She also gives practically applicable advice how to correct the situation. If you love your child read this!

Ho letto diversi titoli dell'autrice, e mi sono sempre piaciuti. Ma quando oggi ho ricevuto la copia brossura di questo titolo, che delusione nello scoprire che la prima pagina... è la 75! Solo dopo pagina 122 trovo finalmente il frontespizio, l'indice, la prefazione, ecc. Questi disguidi segnano un punto a favore delle librerie tradizionali. I read and appreciate several Montessori books. I just received today this printed version, and how sad to find out it starts from... page 75! Only after page 122 I finally have contents, preface, etc. This kind of mistake score points in favour of traditional bookstores.

A bit difficult writing style, heavy reading but massive knowledge as well. Maria Montessori was a pioneer in children education/raising/learning and nowadays science (brain development) is proving her right from every aspect. This is one of her late works, so you will find most of her thoughts in there, but in a way more holistic and generic. All her knowledge is derived from hands-on experience, so consider reading it slowly to grasp all meanings. Ok, Montessori is a bit difficult on working at home (try a good school for better support), but consider and implement some aspects of it and you will soon discover a new child. It is also more generalized, but I think that is the best way to master the genius behind the specific details of her educational system. Tons of books on the subject (many of them really good), but this is her own work and it is well worth reading material for every parent not only those interested in montessori. Try it...

The copy of this book is of poor quality. The writing on the back is not straight, the print is a little blurry with thin pages that you can see the writing on the other side of the page and their is a piece of gold tape stuck on the back that says "original". Besides the poor quality version, the book is a difficult read. I presume it is accurately copied from the original but who knows?!

If you are studying to become a Montessori educator or just want to really deepen your knowledge of what Montessori is, then this book is indispensable. Though dense, it gives such insight into a child and education that you can't help wanting to learn more.