Inspiring Books…
When I was first considering putting a book list together for the blog, I had no idea where to start. I did know that I needed HELP…a lot of it! The first person that came to my mind was blogger/mother extraordinaire Valarie Budayr.
A bit about Valarie…
Valarie Budayr is a classical composer, mother of 3 incredibly creative children, avid sustainable gardener, writer, photographer, crafter, explorer, and a completely passionate book aficionado. You can catch Valarie and her traveling tribe, jumping into books most days of the year. Bringing books to life has been a great instrument in helping her children and other’s love reading.
“There are so many books to live in and not enough hours in a day.” Valarie
The following post is a wonderful compilation of books on both Montessori and Waldorf philosophies.
*******************************************
Montessori education
“The child who has felt a strong love for his surroundings and for all living creatures, who has discovered joy and enthusiasm in work, gives us reason to hope…hope for peace in the future.” Dr. Maria Montessori
“When I was in college I took a class in general education. After studying many theories, methods, and ideologies, we came upon a certain type of idea called “Child Centered Education”. It struck me as odd because shouldn’t all education be child centered? It was in this part of the course that I was introduced to the work of Dr. Maria Montessori. I was so inspired by the way she nurtured children’s natural ability and problem solving skills. She was a very prolific writer and speaker. It was so meaningful to me that I could read her words and her experiences. Here are some of the works of Dr. Maria Montessori that opened my eyes to another way of embracing and teaching the child.” Valarie Budayr
The following books are by Dr. Maria Montessori:
Look at the Child: An expression of Maria Montessori’s Insights
The following books embrace the Montessori tradition and the love of learning:
- Awakening Your Toddler’s Love of Learning by Jan Katzen-Lucenta
- How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Time Seldin
- Modern Montessori at Home: A Complete guide to Teaching Your Pre-schooler at Home using the Montessori Method by Heidi Anne Spietz
- Modern Montessori at Home II : A Creative Teaching Guide for Parents of Children 10 through 12 Years of Age by Heidi Anne Spietz
- Montessori at Home by Heidi Anne Spietz
- Montessori Madness! A Parent to Parent Argument fo Montessori Education by Trevor Eissler
- Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Preschool Years by Elizabeth G. Hainstock
- Teach Montessori in the Home : The School Years by E.G. Hainstock
*****************************************************************************************************************
Waldorf Education
“The true aim of education is to awaken real powers of perception and judgment in relation to life and living. For only such awakening can lead to true freedom.” Rudolf Steiner
“As my eldest daughter was heading to middle school, I discovered Waldorf schools. It was an embodiment of the way we were already learning. It’s most important goal was to inspire a love of learning for a lifetime. The following books are where I started my Waldorf learning and discoveries. These books provided a great foundation into what is Waldorf education and they deeply inspired me to continue on in my learning of this philosophy and method.” Valarie Budayr
- Waldorf Education : A Family Guide by Pamela J. Fenner
- Understanding Waldorf Education: Teaching from the Inside Out. By Jack Petrash
- School as a Journey: The Eight-Year Odyssey of a Waldorf Teacher and his Class by Torin M. Finser
“After reading these books it was time to embrace Rudolf Steiner himself. I must warn you that he isn’t easy to read. Please read him anyway. It is so worth it. If, by chance you speak German, read him in German. It’s a bit easier.” Valarie Budayr
- Rhythms of Learning : What Waldorf Education offers children, Parents & Teachers. Rudolf Steiner & Roberto Trostli
- What is Waldorf Education
- The Kingdom of Childhood
The following books furthered my knowledge of Waldorf Education, Learning, and Living.
- Seven Times the Sun By Shea Darian
- Beyond the Rainbow Bridge: Nurturing our Children from Birth to Seven by Barbara J. Patterson
- Children at Play: Using Waldorf Principles to Foster Childhood Development by Heidi Britz-Crecelius
- You are your child’s First Teacher: What Parents can do with and for their Children from birth to age Six. By Rahima Baldwin Darcy
- Heaven On Earth: A Handbook for Parents of Young Children By Sharifa Oppenheimer
- The Way of the Child A.C. Harwood
- Making a Family Home by Shannon Honeybloom
- Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne & Lisa M. Ross
“This is by no means a complete list of Montessori and Waldorf books. It is only a beginning. I wanted to share with you the journey I took to discovering these incredible teaching methods which embraced by children’s whole self. These books are a launching point to discover how to nurture and inspire the child, parents, and family.” Valarie Budayr
********************************************************************************************************
Thank you so much Valarie for putting this amazing list together.
To learn more about Valarie, please stop by her wonderful spaces on the web…
and
**********************************************************************************************************************************************
In addition to the wonderful list that Valarie has put together….
Rhythm of the Home has a Good Reads Group that has even more inspirational books to help you in learn more about Waldorf, Montessori, and family seasonal rhythms.
You can join the group over at Good Reads and start your own booklist or add to the growing list that Rhythm of the Home made.
SEE YOU THERE!
rhythmofthehome.wordpress.com 