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It is rare that I have ever found a Montessori book that was effectively written for both Montessori professionals and parents. Paula Preschlack has done it brilliantly! She starts with a section that appeals to both groups and is meant to inform them without lecturing or patronizing either one. The case studies that she uses in this section and throughout the book are exactly what is needed to demonstrate her points. She captures the readers’ attention seamlessly as she moves from one group to the other.
During my many years of working with parents and teachers, I have always started conversations with an exercise to get them thinking, “Imagine your child/ren at 18 years old, just finished High School and ready to go out into the world. They might choose to travel for a while, go on to some higher education, start a business, etc. What do you hope children will have gotten from their years in school?” They have always answered with character traits like confidence, ability to collaborate, love of learning, etc. Paula Preschlack paints a beautiful picture of the characteristics that children develop from their Montessori experience. She emphasizes the deliberate combination of soft and hard skills that an authentic Montessori experience provides.
Learning should be an ongoing, ever-changing experience that meets a young person’s needs at home and school. Ms. Preschlack brings understanding to the needs of children in different planes of development and the role of parents and teachers in creating environments suited to meet children’s needs. Her descriptions bring hope and trust in “The Montessori Potential” to make a better world through our children. This is a book that everyone should read.
