exploringmontessori

At 11 months, something magical is happening.

My baby is on the brink of toddlerhood — still very much a baby, but full of curiosity, awareness, and the first sparks of language. I’ve noticed how he watches my mouth when I speak, how he turns toward familiar sounds, and how a single word — “light,” “dog,” “ball” — suddenly carries so much weight.

In the Montessori approach, this age is part of the sensitive period for language — a window where babies absorb sounds, words, tone, and rhythm effortlessly. Like little sponges, they soak up the language around them long before they can speak it. And one of the best ways to support that? Books.

Why Montessori Values Books So Much — Even This Early

Dr Maria Montessori believed that the environment should feed a child’s natural development. For language, that means offering real, rich, and respectful communication — and books play a beautiful role in that.

At this stage, it’s not about reading entire stories or expecting attention spans to stretch too long. It’s about:

• Naming objects with clear, simple language
• Using real images (instead of cartoonish illustrations) to help babies connect words with the real world
• Reading slowly, with pauses for baby to process or respond
• Repetition — the same book over and over is exactly what their brain wants

Our Story Time Ritual

I keep a small basket of books in our play area, usually no more than four or five at a time. These are rotated every week or two, but a few favourites always stay in the mix.

Right now, our go‑to reads include:

• Books with real faces = instant engagement
• Slide‑and‑See board books (any sturdy slider book) — perfect for little hands to practise cause‑and‑effect is his current favourite
• Simple animal or nature board books with real‑life images
• Poems – currently into the book A Great Big Cuddle

We read on the floor, often with baby in my lap or next to me, free to wander off and come back. Sometimes he listens all the way through; sometimes he turns the pages out of order or closes the book after a page. That’s okay. He’s in charge of the pace.

Language Beyond the Books

While books are lovely, the Montessori approach reminds us that we are the first and most important language teachers.

That means:

• Talking to baby throughout the day (“I’m peeling your banana,” “Let’s put on your socks”)
• Using real words (saying “cat” instead of “kitty‑cat‑meow‑meow”)
• Pausing after we speak, giving them space to respond — even with a look, a sound, or a babble
• Singing slow, clear songs and rhymes

Final Thoughts

At 11 months, story time isn’t about teaching your baby to read. It’s about laying the foundation for a lifelong love of language, communication, and curiosity.

So if your baby grabs the book, chews the corner, and crawls away halfway through — that’s okay. They’re learning in their own perfect way. Just keep offering the words, the pages, and the presence. They’re taking it all in.

And one day, they’ll open the book themselves — and you’ll know it all started here.