Good Books: This is How We Do It

An immensely important part of Montessori education is the concept of the child as a global citizen and his or her role as a larger community of peace. In Dr. Montessori's words: "This is education, understood as a help to life; an education from birth, which feeds a peaceful revolution and unites all in a common aim, attracting them as to a single centre. Mothers, fathers, politicians: all must combine in their respect and help for this delicate work of formation, which the little child carries on in the depth of a profound psychological mystery, under the tutelage of an inner guide. This is the bright new hope for mankind.” (The Absorbent Mind)While there are many wonderful books which encourage this mindset, we've found a new release that is worth checking out: Matt Lamothe's This is How We Do It. Lamothe follows one day in the lives of seven children from around the world - Peru, Uganda, Italy, Russia, Iran, India, and Japan - to highlight the beautiful differences and similarities between all children of the world.From how the children get to school (and even what each of their classrooms look like), to what they eat for breakfast, how they spell their names, how they play, eat, sleep, and spend time with their families, the book is beautifully illustrated and engaging for a wide range of ages.Indeed, very "Montessori" is how the different children help their families at home. This book also illustrates the Montessori values of respecting the wisdom of all cultures and the importance of the concept of positive peace, or the act of having values that are important to humanity such as justice and harmony. Diversity is a key aspect of positive peace in order to guide the world toward a place where these values are defended and promoted for people, regardless of (and in celebration of) individual differences.The final bonus: there are photographs of the real families in the back of the book!