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Montessori Madness!: A Parent to Parent Argument for Montessori Education Paperback – July 1, 2009

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 132 ratings

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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. The entire system must be turned on its head. This book asks parents to take a look one thirty-minute observation at a Montessori school. Your picture of what education should look like will never be the same.

Montessori Madness! follows one family with young children on their journey of determination, discovery, and delight. Learn the who, what, when, where, why, and how of Montessori education.

This book makes an aggressive, humorous, and passionate case for a brilliant method of education that has received too little attention, very likely because it is based on a revolutionary, dangerous, and shocking concept: children love to learn!

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Editorial Reviews

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Just what the wider educational community needs a book written with passion and understanding by a Montessori parent to other parents. Trevor Eissler is a rare parent who can put into writing his enthusiasm and first-hand experience as a Montessori advocate to other parents. ---Barbara Gordon, President, Montessori Institute of Texas; Founder, Barbara Gordon Montessori School

I am excited that our faculty will be reading Montessori Madness! this summer for our summer reading selection. It is a very practical perspective from a parent that gives great insight and answers to the questions that our parent body seems to be seeking. This book gives us very tangible topics to discuss with parents in the upcoming years. ---Michele Shane, Head of School, The Children's House

What's great about this book is that it is written by a Montessori parent for other parents who may or may not have already discovered Montessori education for their children. It's easy reading and passionately makes the case for choosing Montessori. ---Nirvair Khalsa, Head of School, Khalsa Montessori School

From the Back Cover

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. The entire system must be turned on its head. This book asks parents to take a look one thirty-minute observation at a Montessori school. Your picture of what education should look like will never be the same.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sevenoff, LLC; First Edition (July 1, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 098228330X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0982283301
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.58 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 132 ratings

About the author

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Trevor Eissler
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Author of "Montessori Madness! A Parent to Parent Argument for Montessori Education", "4,962,571", "That 17th Hat", and "N is for North Korea", Trevor Eissler is a business jet pilot and flight instructor. He speaks internationally on education issues. He lives with his wife and three children in Texas.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
132 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book an excellent introduction to Montessori education. They find it easy to read and understand, providing a personal testimony to the concepts. The author's descriptions evoke empathy and joy, making it a great read for parents of preschoolers. Readers appreciate the author's case for community action that can provide Montessori education.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

25 customers mention "Education"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the book an excellent introduction to Montessori education. They say it's easy to read and understand for parents who want to know more about it. The book provides a personal testimony to the concepts and shows how the approach to pedagogy engages children while inspiring them to think creatively. It helps build a firm foundation for future learning and explains the philosophy and methods of Montessori in a clear way.

"...a few references to other works; this is basically a book written by a parent for other parents...." Read more

"...classroom we visited: peaceful, beautiful, and designed to allow children to flourish...." Read more

"...children, while inspiring them to think creatively, become absorbed in thoughtful analysis, problem-solve, and work with others in a collaborative..." Read more

"...Part of the book is a personal story, interwoven with well-written explanations of Montessori from a parent's point of view...." Read more

25 customers mention "Readability"25 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's readability. They find it a great read for those considering Montessori schools, and an excellent companion to Montessori Today. The author is easy to understand, with nice stories and explanations. The writing style is engaging, with good points and passion for the method.

"...accurately described the Montessori classroom we visited: peaceful, beautiful, and designed to allow children to flourish...." Read more

"...The writing style is pretty engaging though, and many of the complaints about the public school system did hit close to home, which makes me..." Read more

"Thank you. I needed it for work. Beautiful copy." Read more

"...This is a much better book of Montessori elementary than _Montessori Today_ which is singly an explanation of the philosophy and specifics of..." Read more

4 customers mention "Empathy"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's empathy and personal perspective. They find the book engaging and interesting for parents and parents-to-be. The author provides nice stories and explanations.

"...His very alive and enthusiastic description evokes my empathy, it is difficult not to sense the joy of a mind which discovers a very beautiful way..." Read more

"...Eissler is an easy-to-read author with nice stories and explanations of the Montessori method...." Read more

"Very interesting book, a must read for all parents and all wannabe parents..." Read more

"Passionate, idealistic parent viewpoint..." Read more

3 customers mention "Community involvement"3 positive0 negative

Customers like the book's call for community action. They say it creates a sense of community, not fierce competition between schools.

"...The meaning of being really and intrinsically motivated to do something, the meaning of tackling calculus or trying to learn to play the piano...." Read more

"...Beyond solving their personal dilemmas, he makes a case for community action that can provide Montessori education for all kinds of children, not..." Read more

"...to understand why we need more children taugth at these schools:create a community, not a fierce competition between human beings" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2011
    This is the second book in my path of learning Montessori method for educating children, but I would suggest it as the first Montessori book to almost everyone. Unlike my first book (which is Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius, another gem I highly appreciate and value in its own category), this one is much shorter and includes just a few references to other works; this is basically a book written by a parent for other parents. A very personal book which tells the story of a father who really deeply cared about the education of his children and his amazing discoveries. Trevor Eissler does not shy away from giving accounts of his own childhood in which there were some difficult moments; his sharp analysis of what kind of education leads to those difficulties is at least as valuable as a scientific psychological research for me. Maybe that's because I'm also about to become a father and I'm also obsessed about the process a child lives throughout his first years.

    I also felt like I was having a sincere conversation with a father of three children while reading the book. A conversation not only about raising kids and education for kids but also about the meaning of education. The meaning of being really and intrinsically motivated to do something, the meaning of tackling calculus or trying to learn to play the piano. Not to have the best grades but just because making music or discovering some fundamental truths about this world is simply a lot of fun to begin with.

    Eissler's sincere description of his first experience in a Montessori classroom is what really motivated me to go and find a Montessori school to visit. His very alive and enthusiastic description evokes my empathy, it is difficult not to sense the joy of a mind which discovers a very beautiful way and new of doing things, in this case discovering Montessori method for educating children in action. And I think that's what we need for a start, because once there is enough energy to start us going there are excellent scientific resources such as 'Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius' which provides a lot of background for deep inquiry into the subject.

    If you decide to explore Montessori method then let reading this book be your first step.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2010
    For my wife and I, this was the perfect book read at the perfect time. We knew very little about Montessori when we picked it up, and the main reason we considered Montessori had to do with how remarkably engaged and joyful the children of our close friends are. I knew nothing more than that children chose what they studied: I knew nothing about the prepared environment or even mixed-age classrooms. What's more, my impression of Montessori was that it was a costly luxury for elites rather than an intentional community and approach to learning that is actually more cost-effective than traditional schooling and can (and should) be implemented through the public schools.

    Our two children are now enrolled for the fall in a wonderful Montessori program for toddlers and we couldn't be more thrilled. I know reading Montessori Madness resonated with me so much because it helped to explain an odd paradox: my own and the common sensation of loving learning but despising school, regardless of apparently "succeeding" according to grades. And, in the end, I found the book accurately described the Montessori classroom we visited: peaceful, beautiful, and designed to allow children to flourish. The best emissaries for Montessori are, of course, the students themselves: independent, capable, and joyful and, in the school we chose, ethnically and economically diverse.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2013
    The book could be beefed up with more references to studies, they do exist comparing Montessori and other teaching methods. The writing style is pretty engaging though, and many of the complaints about the public school system did hit close to home, which makes me uncomfortable in thinking about how I could have turned out differently if I had been educated at a Montessori school instead.

    I put together a few quotes from articles and other places from looking into the case of Finland's education system. Those things that make Finland's system different from the US's could also be said about Montessori schools:

    Finland's schools owe their newfound fame primarily to one study: the PISA survey, conducted every three years by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The survey compares 15-year-olds in different countries in reading, math, and science. Finland has ranked at or near the top in all three competencies on every survey since 2000.

    Pasi Sahlberg, director of the Finnish Ministry of Education's Center for International Mobility and author of the new book "Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland?"

    Quote from review on Amazon: “Finnish teachers are rarely found standing in front of classrooms lecturing students. Instead, they are found milling about - whether inside their classrooms, in the school kitchen for cooking class, or outside in the woods for a lesson that incorporates nature. In other words, hands-on, project-based learning is common in Finland. This approach to pedagogy engages children, while inspiring them to think creatively, become absorbed in thoughtful analysis, problem-solve, and work with others in a collaborative manner. ”

    From an Atlantic article:

    Finnish schools assign less homework and engage children in more creative play

    Finland has only one standardized tests, at the end of their voluntary upper-secondary school, roughly like our high school. Instead, the public school system's teachers are trained to assess children in classrooms using independent tests they create themselves. All children receive a report card at the end of each semester, but these reports are based on individualized grading by each teacher.

    And while Americans love to talk about competition, Sahlberg points out that nothing makes Finns more uncomfortable. It's hard to think of a more un-American idea, but when it comes to education, Finland's success shows that the Finnish attitude might have merits.

    Also, they spend about the least amount of time in class compared to other countries.

    “We prepare children to learn how to learn, not how to take a test,” said Pasi Sahlberg.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2024
    Thank you. I needed it for work. Beautiful copy.

Top reviews from other countries

  • lilypad
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
    Reviewed in Canada on November 11, 2017
    I was hooked from the moment I opened the book. Excellent!
  • isabelle
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 7, 2014
    A very inspiring book...both as a teacher and as a parent!
  • Helen Devitt
    5.0 out of 5 stars ... have such a philosophy and produce kids with a love of learning
    Reviewed in Australia on February 27, 2015
    Now why cannot all schools have such a philosophy and produce kids with a love of learning, good manners, graciousness and regard and respect for their fellow students and teachers in their community.
  • Antony Martiniani
    5.0 out of 5 stars A good read
    Reviewed in Japan on January 24, 2013
    It was a good read.
    It gave me an insight into the montessori method.
  • Emese Szabó
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very good
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2018
    Thank you, Im satisfied with the product.