Beth Wood, founder of Our Montessori Life, discusses her new publication, The Montessori Toddler Activity Book.
What inspired you to author this book? I’ve always hoped to author a Montessori themed book but this one came along unexpectedly. I often get approached by publishers to write a Montessori work, and regrettably their vision of the pedagogy isn’t compatible with my own. This time my ideas and their ideas seemed like a good fit and I’m so grateful they were. The activities found in the book are ones I’ve used so many times over the years, both in my classrooms but also at home with my children. The illustrations are taken from my photos over all these years and the book has in a way, become a beautiful memoir of my Montessori life.
What other books have you written? This is the very first book I’ve written! It’s challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and create content in new ways for families.
What surprised you most about the process? What surprised me the most is the amount of work in such a short period of time. From initial ideas meetings to published work it took less than a year. Lots of sleepless nights, but also lots of happy memories to look back on.
What is your background? I am a trained 0-3 and 3-6 Montessori Guide and newly trained 6-12 Montessori Assistant. I’m also a Montessori Educational Consultant. I’ve taught in multiple Montessori classrooms around the world and also help families implement aspects of Montessori into their daily lives. Over the last 20 years I’ve worked in many diverse needs programs as well for both children and adults.
How did you initially learn about Montessori? I initially learned about Montessori when I was looking for a first school experience for our oldest son whose now 21 yrs old! I liked what I saw in one of our local Montessori schools, so we registered him. The simple and purposeful classroom, hands-on materials and child led learning drew me in. That was in 2003. From there, it completely changed our lives, and I became first an advocate as a parent before getting the first of my Montessori teacher trainings.
Where can people find your book? People can find it on Amazon, Book Depository and other major book retailers! They can also ask their local bookstores to order it in.
What other projects would you like people to know about? I often give workshops with other Montessori educators and offer limited Montessori consulting spaces! I currently teach full time in a Montessori 9-12 yr old classroom.
How can people contact you? People can find my work on Instagram and on Facebook. They can email me at beth@ourmontessorilife.com
Is there anything you’d like to add? I’m incredibly grateful for the love, support and kindness people have shown us over the years. Montessori isn’t easy sometimes. And it can be confusing with a lot of misinformation out there. I’m thrilled by the positive response my book has already received. It officially releases June 8th of this year.
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