Have you ever wondered what Montessori is? Many of us have heard the name "Montessori" but do not know what Montessori teaches. For over 100 years, the Montessori Method, based on the scientific observations of Maria Montessori, the first female physician in Italy, has universally educated preschoolers in Practical Life Skills, Sensorial Awareness, Language Development, Art, Music, Science, and Mathematics. It is a natural way of learning through modeling, freedom of choice, and self-discovery with the aid of manipulatives and trained guides to facilitate absorbent minds in becoming lifelong learners. Contemporary literature about Montessori is limited. Montessori for You and Your Child is a practical question and answer format book that unveils the mystery of Montessori so families can make an informed choice for their preschool aged children. Mary Da Prato, an early childhood development specialist, is a graduate of Montessori Institute Northwest and holds an Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Primary Diploma for teaching 3-6+ year old children that is recognized in 110 countries as a high standard of excellence in guiding early childhood development through theory, observation, presentation of materials, and other age appropriate activities.

My First Montessori Book of Numbers reinforces counting the Montessori way in preparation for multiplication and division. Help your child recognize that quantities have written symbols and that each numeral is made up of separate quantities. Point out the difference between even and odd with the clear isolated images in this book. You and your child can verify the sequence of numbers from 1-10 and recognize the difference between even and odd numbers. Written and illustrated by Mary Da Prato, an AMI Primary Diploma holder, My First Montessori Book of Numbers has simplified the task of familiarizing children with numbers in this hands-on interactive text.

Have you ever wanted to start a Montessori Primary school to help three to six year old children reach their full potentials? Starting a Montessori Business illustrates and describes official presentations and their necessary manipulatives in a user-friendly format. Included are supply lists, cost estimates, and helpful suggestions for implementing the Montessori Method in a variety of settings. Sixty-six computer generated illustrations and forty-eight hand drawn illustrations guide the reader through the text. Written and computer illustrated by AMI Diploma holder Mary Da Prato with hand drawings by former small business owner Genevieve DeVaney Da Prato BFA, MAT, Starting a Montessori Business is an excellent resource to motivate entrepreneurs and Montessorians alike.

Color in the Primary Montessori Casa, or classroom for three to six year olds, is more about perception and discrimination of a sampling of primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, and their tints and shades rather than color theory and the color wheel. Children are introduced to three sets of Color Tablet Boxes containing an assortment of colors to recognize, sort, match in pairs, and grade from dark to light, which develop the chromatic and aesthetic senses in preparation for exercises in creative art or "Expression." Written and illustrated by AMI Diploma holder Mary Da Prato, My First Montessori Book of Colors reinforces classwork and helps parents guide their child to the wonder of color and self-discovery.

Children are naturally interested in the leaves in their outdoor environment. In the Montessori Casa, or classroom for three to six year olds, students are introduced to the Botany Cabinet which contains puzzle leaf shapes to compare with nature and trace with a stylus for fine motor control. Additionally, Leaf Card Set activities strengthen identification and abstraction skills in preparation for reading and writing. Written by AMI Diploma holder Mary Da Prato and illustrated by Genevieve DeVaney Da Prato, a Museum Art School BFA graduate, My First Montessori Book of Leaf Shapes reinforces classwork and assists parents in helping their child identify and label leaf shapes.

In the Montessori Casa, or classroom for three to six year olds, exploration of fractions starts at around four-and-a-half years of age. Six year olds who are able to follow a logical sequence and show a strong dedication to exactness learn to identify and label fractions by name, explore fraction equivalence, and solve simple fraction equations with common denominators in the four operations of mathematics: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. My First Montessori Book of Fractions clearly diagrams and highlights isolated quantities of fractions from one whole through one-tenth, naming them in print and numerals. Written and illustrated by AMI Diploma holder Mary Da Prato, My First Montessori Book of Fractions familiarizes children with fractions and their names to reinforce their work in the Casa. Included are strategies for parents to implement at home.

Filling in geometric shapes with a continuous colored pencil line prepares students in the Montessori Primary Casa, or classroom for three to six year olds, for cursive handwriting. My Montessori Coloring Book of Shapes helps children refine and perfect their fine motor control while simultaneously reinforcing what is practiced in the Casa. Written and illustrated by AMI Primary Diploma holder Mary Da Prato, My Montessori Coloring Book of Shapes defines Montessori prerequisites for successful handwriting that can be implemented at home.

Children in the Primary Montessori prepared environment explore music sensorially by listening to a variety of music from different eras and genres, singing songs, matching pitches of the diatonic and chromatic C Major Scales with movable Bells, composing melodies on a large green staff board, and more. Written by AMI Diploma holder Mary Da Prato, My First Montessori Book of Music Notation isolates and identifies basic music notation introduced in the Casa with suggestions for music activities at home.

Three-and-a-half to four year old children in the Primary Montessori prepared environment explore the earth's geographical features by pouring water over three-dimensional models of land and water formations. The relationship between land and water in a given formation determines its definition as an island, lake, or other feature. A hands-on Sensorial exercise, Land and Water Forms prepares students for later geography studies. Written by AMI Diploma holder Mary Da Prato and illustrated by Museum Art School BFA graduate Genevieve DeVaney Da Prato, My First Montessori Book of Land and Water Forms isolates and identifies ten of Earth's basic land and water formations to reinforce and expand upon at home what children learn in the Casa.

Precisely measured equally segmented bars known as Number Rods give four year old children in the Montessori prepared environment the keys to the world of mathematics. By physically counting each segment within a given Number Rod, children receive a clear impression of quantity as an isolated entity. This action combined with guidance from the trained Montessori teacher provides a solid foundation of numbers one through ten in preparation for all future mathematical studies. Written and illustrated by AMI Diploma holder Mary Da Prato, My First Montessori Book of Quantities isolates Number Rods "One" through "Ten" and labels each with its corresponding numerical symbol to reinforce at home the earliest math activities children learn in the Casa.

Thomas the Squirrel is a reality based story about a little girl in the city who builds a squirrel feeder, the consequences of feeding wildlife, and the lessons she learns. Black, white, and color illustrations executed in a variety of printmaking techniques include etchings, linoleum cuts, and monoprints which lead the viewer through Thomas' mischievous behavior and unintended relocation as a result of a well-meaning gesture. Written by an AMI Primary Diploma holder and illustrated by a Museum Art School BFA graduate, Thomas the Squirrel is a Montessori friendly yet universally appealing story that is sure to delight children, parents, and educators alike.