Montessori: Shape Work

by Bobby George, June George, Alyssa Nassner (Illustrator)

Overview

Learn shapes the Montessori way! Based on the proven Montessori teaching method, Montessori: Shape Work introduces young readers to shapes by identifying shapes by category (triangles, rounds, parallelograms, and polygons) and associated objects.

Each shape is die-cut for readers to trace with their fingers and illustrated by Alyssa Nassner with a familiar object for relevancy.

Written by Bobby and June George, founders of the Baan Dek Montessori School, the Montessori series introduces young readers to key concepts by beginning with the concrete and moving to the abstract. With each book, young readers absorb age-appropriate information and gain a better understanding of the world around them.

The Abrams Montessori series:
Letter Work
Number Work
Shape Work
Map Work
Planet Work
Seed Work

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419709357
Publisher:	Abrams Appleseed
Publication date:	08/06/2013
Series:	Montessori
Pages:	18
Sales rank:	840,037
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 4.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Bobby George is a lifelong student and entrepreneur, with a PhD in philosophy. Alongside June George, he founded Baan Dek—the first Montessori school in South Dakota. Bobby and June both live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Alyssa Nassner is an illustrator and hand letterer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the illustrator of the Montessori series for Abrams as well as several books for Chronicle and Ivy Press.

Editorial Reviews

2013-08-21
Montessori experts offer a handsome, in-depth exploration of shapes. As the parent note on the verso of the cover states, the shapes are presented from the concrete to the abstract. Three varieties of triangles, all with a tactile feature created by cutting away the top layer of the board page, are presented, allowing readers to feel and understand the geometric concept. On the following pages, these triangles are more specifically named (isosceles, equilateral and right-angled) and shown in their real-world contexts as an evergreen tree, the roof of a house and a sail on a boat, respectively. Rounds (circle, ellipse and oval) come next, followed by parallelograms and polygons presented in the same format. Nassner's crystal-clear graphics in natural colors against faux wood grain, give the book much-needed warmth. This is an advanced take on shapes, with mathematically accurate vocabulary ("rhombus" is used rather than the more colloquial "diamond," for example), and shapes are flipped and turned when presented as real-world objects (the egg-shaped "oval" is shown narrow end up in its abstract form and with narrow side down as a balloon). There are some clever and surprising things used to illustrate where shapes can be found, such as the black pentagons found on the typical soccer ball. As in the Georges' earlier offerings, Number Work and Letter Work (both 2012), this outing is appropriate for youngsters who have moved beyond the basics. (Board book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews