I stumbled across the Montessori philosophy whilst looking for an approach to parenting that would work around my health issues. I needed something that would promote a calm and nurturing environment in my home and be beneficial to both me and my baby. I found so many wonderful resources to help me guide me, everything from Youtube channels, social media accounts and my favourite – books!

Dr Montessori designed her unique method to be used in a classroom. However, the general principles of her approach also lend themselves nicely to the home environment. Indeed, I have followed these ideas from birth with my daughter and she is thriving in every way.

Here are the links to the books I have invested in. Each of them has provided useful ideas I have incorporated into my own parenting. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

• The Montessori Baby and The Montessori Toddler by Simone Davies – Although the latter was released first, I started with The Montessori Baby as it coincided with the birth of my daughter. Both books are very popular. They are probably well-loved because they are beautifully laid out and illustrated. They use very clear and accessible language throughout. They include everything from setting up the home, activity suggestions by age, and how to deal with difficult behavior. The authors recently released The Montessori Child, which I ordered early to take advantage of the pre-order bonuses they offered. I haven’t finished it yet as it’s directed towards an older age group.
• Babies Build Toddlers by Mariana Bissonette – I love this book! It’s laid out a bit differently to the others and focuses on infancy to 18 months. She clearly outlines the phases that a child goes through regarding key things like movement, language and sleep. There is also a beautifully illustrated developmental timeline at the back that I found myself constantly referring to. I really would recommend this one.
• How to raise an amazing child the Montessori Way by Tim Seddin – This is another comprehensive, illustrative guide to introducing Montessori in the home from the president of the Montessori foundation. It covers tips on everything from practical life to early learning in maths and language skills.
• The Montessori Home by Ashley Yeh – The author created the popular Hapa Family YouTube channel. This channel features hundreds of bitesized videos on introducing Montessori at home. She has condensed much of the key knowledge into this book. Like the others, it has useful suggestions for incorporating the method into your family. It includes how to set up the home environment and what activities to introduce when.

You can, of course, read the works of Dr Montessori herself. A good option to start with would be The Absorbent Mind. However, do bear in mind the era and context that it was written in. As previously mentioned, her work was intended for a classroom rather than a home. However, it is a good read for anyone wanting to dig deeper into her philosophy as it explains why she made certain recommendations.

Other parenting books that complement the Montessori method:

I downloaded several other parenting books to my Kindle. I think they are worth reading in addition to the books above. They really complement the idea of respectful parenting and dealing with behaviour in a way that values connection and learning.

Links to purchase: Positive Discipline: The First Three Years by Jane Nelson, How to Talk so Little Kids will Listen by Joanna Faber and Julie King, Extraordinary Parenting by Eloise Rickman, Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne, The Danish Way of Parenting  by Jessica Joelle Alexander and Iben Dissing Sandahl and Good Inside by Dr Becky Kennedy.

Podcasts that are worth a listen:

• Lovevery has a podcast entitled My New Life which covers a range of parenting and early learning related themes.
• The Montessori Notebook is a podcast from Simone Davies, author of The Montessori Baby series of books.
• Simplicity Parenting from the author of the book of the same name. Kim John Payne actually follows the Waldorf rather than Montessori philosophy but so many of his ideas are useful if you want to create a happy and peaceful home for your family.

It’s also beneficial to explore both YouTube and Instagram for Montessori ideas, as many wonderful parents share valuable activity suggestions and insights. It is amazing how much quality content is actually out there – often for free! It’s brilliant to see!

That’s it for my round up of books for getting started with the Montessori method at home. I am always on the lookout for great books and resources so please add any you have come across in the comments below and I’ll be sure to check them out!