What emerges is a powerfully gentle portrait of a willful and imperious child who grows into a willful and imperious adult, one whose central and profound contribution to society is the insight that teachers should heed the willfulness of small children—that children should be emperors of their own education ... De Stefano makes a consistent effort to withhold judgment, choosing instead to pay close and descriptive attention. She also avoids weighing in too much on the pedagogy, claiming that she is not an expert ... The result is a biography written the way a naturalist, or a Montessori protégé, might. Each chapter is short, often between two and four pages, and reads like something between a field note and a pensée ... gives the biography the at once complex and childlike feel of a diorama.
... intimate, comprehensive ... The book’s absorbing narrative shows independent, determined Montessori facing health challenges; the effects of war; longing for her distant child; lack of adequate funds; and harsh criticism of her methods ... Bolstered by rare access to Montessori’s unpublished diaries, personal letters, notes, and texts, The Child Is the Teacher is a deep, comprehensive biography that rewards both intellect and emotion.
... the first biography of Montessori written by a 'non-follower' with no connection to the movement or its founder, according to De Stefano ... De Stefano doesn’t portray a saint who is consistently and exclusively devoted to serving the underserved ... Yet to her death, Montessori never abandoned her faith in the idea that all children, rich and poor, should be more valued, supported and empowered. And whether we embrace her educational methods or not, in that sense we should all be more Montessorian.
... compelling ... Ms. De Stefano charts Montessori’s remarkable life in short chapters and in a somewhat breathless present tense. The author is supportive of her subject’s cause and indulgent of her flaws ... concludes squarely with its fascinating subject’s 1952 death. One wishes Ms. De Stefano had gone a bit further, offering perspective on Montessori’s enduring influence on early-childhood education and on the state of Montessori education today...Finally, it’s impossible not to wonder how those four perfect test subjects, the Montessori grandchildren, turned out.
Drawing from Montessori’s own writings as well as recent works, de Stefano presents the pioneer as a strong-willed firecracker who understood that the world could be different, if only children were allowed to create it for themselves.
Many have written on Maria Montessori’s pedagogical method of individualized learning; following five years of research, De Stefano focuses instead on Montessori’s remarkable life ... De Stefano presents a balanced, well-written, and clear-eyed portrait of a complex, trailblazing woman who fought hard to change how children were perceived and taught.
... this well-researched narrative bears witness to determination, setbacks, sorrow, and overwhelming success ... De Stefano reveals Montessori’s complicated personal life: an overbearing mother, recurring ill health and bouts of loneliness, and keeping secret the existence of a son born out of wedlock. A complicated personality, as well, she could be authoritarian, 'ornery,' and selfishly opportunistic ... A nuanced portrait of an educational pioneer.
Unfolding the story as a series of vignettes and writing in the present tense, De Stefano occasionally sacrifices coherence for a sense of immediacy. Still, readers of feminist history will savor this evenhanded profile of a groundbreaking educator and businesswoman.
