Montessori in the Classroom: A Teacher's Account of How Children Really Learn Book

Lillard sets the bar high.

For any Montessorian reading of her experiences and ideas, there are bound to be feelings of exasperation and disbelief. How did she get her classroom so normalized, so perfectly? How did she come to such perfection? I don't know whether it was her desire to present Montessori as a shining example of education, or whether she just had an amazing knack with children, but her exposition is very impressive.

It may be that my own teaching lacks her finesse and wisdom. I have never had the kind of success she writes of in her book. I tend to think of her, however, as a slight exaggerator. She presents the ideal classroom, with ideal solutions to the difficulties of Montessori.

For a wealth of good ideas, this book is wonderful. Lillard presents so many useful tidbits, it nearly filled my little notebook. Just leave behind the expectation that they'll be as easy to implement as Lillard makes them out to be.