A Montessori Mother

Lucky me! A dear one has procured a library copy of A Montessori Mother from 1912. This text, by Dorothy Canfield Fisher, was one of the first books to recount an American experience of the Montessori Method. Fisher visited Italy and was able to observe Montessori schools up close. She chose to write the book because of the strong response of her contemporaries to the visit. She was constantly asked to expound on her visit and the resulting book is part ethnography, part Montessori biography and part summary of the Method.

I'm only two chapters in and plan to read the book in it's entirety. It's a much easier read than any of the books written by Montessori at the time. The 1912 copy has wonderful photo plates that show a classroom in Italy and show children working with the original materials.

What a great read. I plan to order a reprint when I have to return this copy. Amazon has a reprint available for less than $10. This might be a useful and accessible text for teaching about the historical context of the Method for teacher training programs.