Teach Me to Do It Myself: Montessori Activities for You and Your Child

by Maja Pitamic

Based on the key Montessori principle that children learn best through active experience, Teach Me to Do It Myself presents simple activities through which children explore and develop their skills. These skill areas include sensory perceptions, body coordination, language, understanding of numbers, and movement. This practical, color-illustrated parenting book is filled with activities and instructions for overseeing children as they carry out a variety of learning activities. Most activities will seem simple to parents, because once mastered, adults perform them automatically. However, toddlers experience a sense of accomplishment and self-worth when they learn to perform them independently. The many activities start with dressing and personal hygiene, then go on to include . . .

Pouring activities
Threading and sewing activities
Peg activities
Cutting with scissors
Sorting activities by touch
A color matching game
Making musical scales with bottles and water
Using alphabet tiles to make words
Growing things in a window box
Making finger puppets

Activities are described in detail and include checklists of needed items, as well as variations and related activities for children to try.

Genres: Parenting, Education, Nonfiction, Reference, Childrens

176 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2004

Reviews

[Samangie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it. Love it. Love it! For those of us who can't afford Montessori school, or who would rather be spending time at home WITH their child - this is an awesome resource. No special materials needed. The author considers what you have in the home and equates it with Montessori's own HOME made materials (she had to start somewhere too!). My daughter (2yrs) and son (16 months) love so many of these activities. Especially to do with textures and surprises. This book along with many others on the Montessori method have helped shape my ideals about the intellect and development of a child. The foundation is there, they're a lot smarter than we give them credit for! If you introduce something their adaption is an incredible journey to behold! Truly, it is one if the greatest pleasures of parenthood - seeing the light turn on. Not by your own efforts but by your child's ability to deduce something simply through trial and error. I'll be the first to admit, it's helped me deal a great but with my own control issues. And Montessori was right, more than half the battle is teaching yourself to check yourself when it comes to 'educating' a child. AMAZING. I'd encourage reading Maria Montessori's own words as well. Using this book will start you off to an amazing relationship with your child based on mutual respect, intellect, patience and kindness.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wish I had read this book when I got it; only the science section is truly of use to our family now. It is perfect for the parents of a 2-3 year old child. The activities are grouped into 5 sections (life, senses, language, numeracy, science) with easy to understand instructions. Most of the activities involve objects commonly found around the home (bowls, small toys, beans, spoons, etc.) and the book includes a handful of worksheets to copy. Like all Montessori activities, the author helpfully includes tips for making each activity more challenging as the child progresses, with each activity careful tied to other skills in a preschooler's repertoire.

This is perfect for families who are looking into Montessori or for parents who would like to do simple, educational, laddered activities with their toddler or preschooler at home.

[Shelley Diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book for parents of young children. I wish my parents had used a book like this! Clear instructions for experiential activities teaching a wide range of basic knowledge, including science, language, nature, mathematics, sensory awareness, cooking, etc. This book helps prepare kids to learn more advanced knowledge when they are old enough for school.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great tips for Montessori-style parenting. Wish I had this earlier.

[Ozy Frantz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book does not contain any Montessori theory and is instead primarily a list of activities. To add insult to injury, many of the activities-- while perhaps valuable-- are not Montessori activities, or even reasonable home adaptations. However, setting that aside, the explanations are clear, the pictures are helpful, there are worksheets in the back to help you make your own materials, and all of the activities seem like things preschoolers would enjoy.

[Ardyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the most useful Montessori-at-home book I have read.

Step-by-step for each activity using mostly commonly available household objects like balls, blocks, string, baskets, dried foods, etc

Activities are organized in order, so you know where to start, what to do next, and (at a surface level) why.

If you are new to Montessori, don't start here. Read Maria Montessori's original works, with a notebook handy for all the ideas and thoughts you want to ponder later.

If you love Montessori principles already, but can't afford formal training and/or the expensive materials - this is the book for you.

I spent a year and a bit reading blogs and admiring Pinterest samples because I figured I had what I needed to do this... but I never did any of it.

This book removes the guesswork and the need for DIY "lesson plans". Worth every penny.

PS - Get it in hard copy!

[KNCHNGL · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was searching for an activities book, and this was exactly what I was looking for. Very sensibly organized according to life skills, the 5 senses, language, numeracy and science, topped off with worksheets at the end of the book. Each activity has variation ideas, which allows for adaptation according to available materials, home environment, specific needs. Highly recommended!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would love to have a copy of these. So many fun/educational ideas to do with your child. Will have to recheck this book out of the library in a few more months when I can implement it more.

[Kari Yergin]

Scanned as I'm deciding about going back to preschool teaching.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful and practical parents' guide to real Montessori activities. It contains step-by-step activities for practical life, sensorial work, language, math, and science activities and is honestly all that a lay parent would need. Pitamic makes some interesting choices, like including print out versions of materials, such as number rods and "paper letters." I understand the idea behind this choice--most parents would not have the money to purchase the expensive Montessori materials in 2004 at the time of publication, but it's still interesting to see. (Nowadays Montessori is so popular that the materials can be bought for MUCH cheaper, and guides for DIYing your own are also an option for crafty parents.) Still, neglecting lessons on sandpaper letters and the moveable alphabet, as well as using paper versions of number rods, all hurt my poor teacher heart! :)

[Robin C · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title says so much! Myself - often expressed as "Me Do It" is one of the most wonderful characteristics of the child's need for independence. This books helps parents and caregivers understand and make the most of this vital urge.

[Rd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tons of interesting activities that I can't wait to try when my little one gets older.

[Anuradha Baliga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all Maja pitamic books and this one is no different. this has a lot of activities you can add to your activity lists .they are very easy to put together . must refer for anyone getting started

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for do it at home activities for you and your child.

[Amy Jago · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these activities! When my partner and I have our child and they are old enough, I will be borrowing this book again.

[Kelsey Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disliked that there were no age ranges on activities, and most were geared towards older age groups rather than toddlers. Will come back to this later I think

[Allison Hibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - An excellent resource that breaks down activities and materials into practical and beautifully simple applications for the preschooler (2ish-5ish). No fuss.

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have so many questions about this book. I'd say issues but I'm not as familiar with Montessori as I would like; it's mostly little niggling things but isn't the whole point that the little things matter when teaching a child?

24.03.22 This is better than that Barbara Isaacs shit but not really as good as I'd hoped for. It's a lot clearer who it's for and the instructions are fairly well laid out but it is still in the end a stopgap measure for parents who don't have the facilities or resources of a Montessori school with properly trained staff, and who don't have the time or availability to learn about Montessori themselves. The basic principles are not laid out, and some of the exercises and how they're described make me wonder if it's because the author does not understand the basic principles rather than because this is a half-measure. I'm still not as familiar with Montessori as I'd like to be but I think I understand enough to judge this work a little better. She speaks often of working to gain the child's attention and many of the activities contain instructions for short lectures of information. The activities themselves seem to be driven a lot more by the teacher than the interest or agency of the child and I don't believe the point was made that these exercises need to be available to the child without adult help. I could go on listing the points that were missed but I don't want to be too harsh on this book. I prefer to believe that it's an attempt to do some good rather than an attempt to sell books with the Montessori name.

[Akehia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a nice book for a parent just learning about the Montessori method or one wanting to foster independence in their quickly developing toddler. The activity ideas are nothing new, and not something I couldn't just find on Pinterest. They appeared to be ordered by developmental level, but there were no age guidelines for each activity, which I think would have been helpful. The photos were vivid and detailed. The worksheets are a good idea, but I wouldn't use them. This definitely more for the Montessori "inspired" family, as it doesn't use the traditional materials, but paper or DIY replicas, through which the child will lose some of the true learning potential.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great presentation and layout of activities. It's inviting and easy to follow. Some of the activities are a bit common sense, but you gotta start somewhere. Good variation in age groups, could be used from ages 2-6, although she doesn't specify an age range for each activity which could have been useful. All the materials are something you'd already have laying around the house so preparation for each activity would be minimal. Good pictures and step by step instructions with suggestions to further learning as they advance in each activity. Definitely something I'd recommend if you're interested in the Montessori method.

[دعاء مجدي · Rating 3 out of 5]

رغم ان هذا الكتاب أخذ شهرة واسعة الا انى لم اجده على المستوى الذى أردته
ربما لان سقف توقعاتى كان اكثر مما ينبغى
احسست ان كل ما قرأته فى الكتاب كان عندى علم مسبق به و انتظرت ان يضيف لى جديدا
الكتاب يحتوى بعض انشطة المنتسورى التى يمكن تطبيقها فى المنزل بخامات بسيطة
و التى يمكن ايجادها بسهولة على الانترنت
هو بسيط و مفيد للأمهات المبتدئات
لم تحدد الكاتبة السن المناسب لكل نشاط تركته حسب تقدير الام و استعداد الطفل لانه يختلف من اسرة الى اخرى
و لم توضح منهجا او خطة يومية لتقديم الانشطة
طباعة الكتاب و التنسيق ممتاز و ملون و مدعم بالصور التوضيحية
و اسلوب الكاتبة سهل و الانشطة مكتوبة بطريقة منظمة

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will revisit this book when my kids are older. Until then, I will continue to teach them things like brushing their teeth and washing their hands - suggested activities that I was already doing - and I will continue to not teach then how to shine shoes with shoe polish - a suggested activity that I would never consider. In the introduction, the author prided herself on not assigning ages to the activities, because all children develop at different rates. True, but a little guidance would have been useful. There is a big difference between buttoning a sweater and spelling words.

[Tia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed some of the general ideas in this book, but I guess my parents must not have read this book when I was a child, as I did not feel confident doing this myself. Perhaps if I had more spare time I would try some of these ideas and be more consistent with my kid. Montessori techniques are great and I loved my own montessori experience. But I think it takes a lot more discipline, and you have to be a true believer, to integrate all these ideas, tools and activities into daily life. Better for parents of only children or parents who want ubermenshen.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book full of Montessori-inspired activities. My son loves flipping through it and picking out "games" to play. Many of them are still above his ability, as he's only 2.5, but he has enjoyed every one we've tried. I appreciated how this book uses Montessori as a starting point, but doesn't assume you have any of the fancy materials, and even suggests using plastic from time to time. It felt much more realistic than many Montessori books I've read in the past.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book if you're interested in Montessori at all. I found it breaks things that as an adult I find simple down into a way that a small child can understand how to do it as well. My daughter is overjoyed that she can put her jacket on all by herself without any sort of struggle or help.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful, easy learning activities to do with your child. I absolutely love that there's a section on life skills. Some of them were pretty simple, washing hands for example. But they also included simple tasks that had not occurred to me or clever ways of teaching. The activities are fun for the child and all the materials are things most people will have on hand already.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has practical ideas for teaching children. With the exception of the science section I think most of the activities are common sense and come up naturally in the home, especially if you have more than one child.

However, if you are finding yourself overwhelmed doing everything for your children, this will be helpful for giving you ideas of what children are capable of doing.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of Montessori activities to do in the home. There isn't a focus on age appropriate tasks in this book, but it is sort of obvious (and noted in pre-face) that chapters 1 and 2 are the foundation for the remaining 3 chapters. Tons of ideas in here. Love it!

[Johanna Hanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The UK title is "I Can Do It" - just fyi. :-)

I found this very basic, and with internet you will find many more activities at your disposal. However, it is nice to have a book to leaf through and look at. For the purpose of perusing, it was worth checking out of the library.

[Ta Ta Ta Tia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great! Using clear instructions with everyday materials the author explains Montessori style activities with your child. Many of the activities were for kids older than my son, but it gives me a great reference point to start. Highly recommend!