Well-written, enthusiastic, accessible - and yet, and yet..., 09 Sep 2008
I looked forward to reading this book, both out of professional interest and as a parent, and found much to appreciate and enjoy. Dr. Wyse is a lucid and engaging writer, a passionate advocate of reading with children and encouraging their own reading and writing from the earliest age. He includes some excellent ideas and recommendations of specific titles for particular stages, and lively supporting examples of reading and writing approaches from children themselves.

However, Dr. Wyse does quote his experiences with his own children - clearly very bright and able, and with plenty of informed parental support - extensively, drawing general conclusions from their very particular circumstances. I'm not for underestimating children, but even parents committed enough to buy this book might find some of the expectations in it daunting. And as a synthetic phonics sceptic, Dr. Wyse gives very little book-room or credence to phonics teaching - a pity, given its increasing importance in early literacy teaching in the UK.

Those details aside, on the whole this is a highly useful and encouraging book, and especially valuable for its emphasis on communicating and reading with children in the early years, the foundations of confident and enjoyable reading for life.

An excellent guide to early literacy, 12 Mar 2008
Such an interesting, well-written guide to early literacy. This book would be useful for every parent - but what a pity it isn't compulsory reading for every teacher!! The author is extremely knowledgeable on the subject and this knowledge is backed by well-documented experiences with his own two children. At last someone writes with sense about how children begin their journey to literacy in a way that isn't influenced by current fads and trends.
The book is very well-presented, is clearly laid-out and is beautifully illustrated. A book to keep on the bookshelf and 'dip into' but also easy to read at a sitting.


Another Excellent book from Dominic Wyse, 19 Aug 2007
Although printed on the cover ' for every parent of children from birth to eleven years' it is a worthwhile read for everyone with an interest in children's learning. It provides a readable overview of the process and interweaves perceptive comments on what education is all about ( politicians please read as well) The reader is respected in the quality of the text and there are relevant references to the author's personal experience with his own children. The book not only makes suggestions it is written to enable the reader understand the principles of how to make choices. It will prove invaluable.

Well-written, enthusiastic, accessible - and yet, and yet..., 09 Sep 2008
I looked forward to reading this book, both out of professional interest and as a parent, and found much to appreciate and enjoy. Dr. Wyse is a lucid and engaging writer, a passionate advocate of reading with children and encouraging their own reading and writing from the earliest age. He includes some excellent ideas and recommendations of specific titles for particular stages, and lively supporting examples of reading and writing approaches from children themselves.

However, Dr. Wyse does quote his experiences with his own children - clearly very bright and able, and with plenty of informed parental support - extensively, drawing general conclusions from their very particular circumstances. I'm not for underestimating children, but even parents committed enough to buy this book might find some of the expectations in it daunting. And as a synthetic phonics sceptic, Dr. Wyse gives very little book-room or credence to phonics teaching - a pity, given its increasing importance in early literacy teaching in the UK.

Those details aside, on the whole this is a highly useful and encouraging book, and especially valuable for its emphasis on communicating and reading with children in the early years, the foundations of confident and enjoyable reading for life.

An excellent guide to early literacy, 12 Mar 2008
Such an interesting, well-written guide to early literacy. This book would be useful for every parent - but what a pity it isn't compulsory reading for every teacher!! The author is extremely knowledgeable on the subject and this knowledge is backed by well-documented experiences with his own two children. At last someone writes with sense about how children begin their journey to literacy in a way that isn't influenced by current fads and trends.
The book is very well-presented, is clearly laid-out and is beautifully illustrated. A book to keep on the bookshelf and 'dip into' but also easy to read at a sitting.


Another Excellent book from Dominic Wyse, 19 Aug 2007
Although printed on the cover ' for every parent of children from birth to eleven years' it is a worthwhile read for everyone with an interest in children's learning. It provides a readable overview of the process and interweaves perceptive comments on what education is all about ( politicians please read as well) The reader is respected in the quality of the text and there are relevant references to the author's personal experience with his own children. The book not only makes suggestions it is written to enable the reader understand the principles of how to make choices. It will prove invaluable.

This is Montessori teaching at its best., 29 Dec 2000
Lyn Lawrence has captured the essence of Language development in children as discovered by Maria Montessori. It is an excellent reference source for teachers as well as parents. The step by step sequence of phonic and sandletters is easy to use .The exercises in the book require little use of expensive learning aids. We use this book frequently in our school in Buckinghamshire. Our set of pupils who have now left to go on to Junior schools, all left with an above average reading age. Lyn follows the essence of Montessori simply,but the spirituality shines through. A good, easily resourced educational book. Thank you Lyn.

From Amita Morton Morton Montessori@waitrose.com

A storehouse of practical ideas., 14 Jul 1999
There is a great need for the Montessori approach to literacy to be more widely known and implemented. Now, at last, we have an effective tool for this in Montessori Read and Write, A Parent's Guide to Early Literacy for Children. This how-to-do-it, step-by-step guide to the Montessori way of promoting early literacy is what we have all been waiting for.

As a resource book Montessori Read and Write will prove indispensible, not only to parents, but to anyone running a Montessori classroom, because the activities suggested are easy to understand and set up, and do not require any extensive, or expensive investment in specialised equipment. For students, too, this book should be essential reading because of the masterful way in which language development for children is interwoven with a presentation of the Montessori approach and useful references at the end.

With such a storehouse of practical ideas at her disposal, many of which have been included in the book, Mrs Lawrence is to be commended for having the wisdom to focus at length on the underlying factors that predispose pre-school children to develop, not just the ability to read and write, but the desire, the urge to become readers and writers, and to have highlighted the key role that parents must play in assisting this process from birth.