The practical manual of the Montessori method

At a time when practical guides on the Montessori method are multiplying, here is the one that Maria Montessori herself designed to "enter families," written in Spanish in 1939 (supporting an earlier version from 1914 in English). Unpublished in French, this historic version has nevertheless remained completely relevant today.

In this manual, which is not only practical, Maria Montessori also presents the philosophy of her pedagogy by recalling its ultimate goal: to serve Peace. She insisted on the fact that education was the best weapon for Peace, and that to achieve it, it was necessary to consider the child as the guide of his education. Who better than the child himself knows what is good for his own development?

What makes this manual unique is that it is the only one illustrated with personal photos of Maria Montessori. The translator has made every effort to reproduce these carefully selected photos in color.

Comparing historical black and white photographs with contemporary photos clearly shows that despite the century that has passed since the opening of the first "Maison des Enfants", and despite all the developments in the method, which is neither fixed nor outdated, the essentials have remained the same.

Maria Montessori (1870–1952) was an Italian physician and educator. She is world-renowned for the pedagogy that bears her name. Her complete works are published by Desclée de Brouwer.

Charlotte Poussin, a Montessori educator with a diploma from AMI, is a member of the board of the French Montessori Association and the author of several reference works on Montessori pedagogy.