Montessori and Reading: The Value of Picture Books

Today's New York Times Online edition featured, Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children, by Julie Bosman.

An excellent discussion of today's pressure on young children to read increasingly difficult books, she discusses parents reluctance to buy picture books for their young readers as parents pressure their youngsters to read more difficult fare.

The goal of Montessori regarding reading is to nurture a child's natural love of learning, not to force them to approach learning as a rote drill that must be performed.

Carefully selected picture and word books for infants and toddlers should stock their low bedroom shelves, allowing independent access to the books, and a wide array of fact books about a whole range of topics should be supplied for beginning readers. If your beginning reader enjoys books with large beautiful pictures, get them and encourage your child to love reading!

If your child is already in First or Second Grade (or older) and struggling to read, let his or her interests guide library and bookstore selections. Browsing for books that appeal (and will be read joyfully) is an important part of the learning process.

Parents will find that if they adjust their own habits to make room for reading as an activity at home, their children will follow suit.

Learn how to help your child read with our Montessori House teaching albums.