Exploringmontessori

Books have been part of my son’s life since he was very little. We didn’t follow a strict plan or timeline — we just introduced them slowly and followed his interest, hoping books would become a normal part of his everyday life.

Between 0-3 months, we started with black-and-white books. At that stage, everything was new, and these simple, high-contrast images were the easiest for him to see. Between 3-6 months, we introduced books with mirrors and photos of other babies. He loved looking at other babies and his own reflection in mirrors of the books. We also tried cloth books during this time, but he never seemed interested in them, so after trying a few times, we stopped offering them.

As he grew and became more curious, we moved on to sturdy board books. He loved being able to turn the pages himself. Around 9-12 months, we introduced books with very simple text, starting with just one word per page. He was much more interested in holding the book and turning pages than in listening to the story, and that was completely fine.

After 12 months, we added rhyme books and books with real images. Around 15 months, something changed. He started showing more interest in short poems and simple one-sentence stories, and many of those books are still in constant rotation. He also began sitting with books on his own, flipping through pages and “reading” out loud in his own language. Around the same time, he started bringing books to us so we could read to him.

Some mornings, we read the same book over and over again, sometimes twenty times in a row. Other days, he brings books to us throughout the entire day, one after another. It’s honestly one of my favourite phases. I love that he brings them to us and waits while we read, ready to turn the page.

Our journey hasn’t always been consistent. There were months when he wasn’t interested in books at all, even when I tried rotating different ones to see what he might like. And then there were phases when he was completely obsessed. I’ve learned that this interest comes and goes, and I try to just follow his lead.

Board books have always worked best for us, and most of his collection is made up of them. They’re easy for him to handle and explore on his own. I’ve avoided paperbacks for now. I also try to keep different types of books available — nature, art, music and everyday things — so he can explore different topics.

Now at 18 months, we’re still figuring things out. My main goal is simply to keep books around and let him enjoy them in his own way, without any pressure.

Hopefully, this is just the beginning of building our home library and his relationship with books.