We've had these books in our home for a couple of months. They are useful for pulling out when we come across a relevant topic. 

There are a few reasons we find these books so useful. They are the perfect length/size/level of detail and are easy to follow. The books are primarily for parents with children in a Montessori school or school with a Montessori approach. They explain how the topic is covered at school and provide activity and extension ideas for the home. In most books there are examples of materials that can be made at home. As there are so many topics they are relevant for so many stages in development. I also really like the format which is attractive, clean and clear. 

There are more in this series however we currently use; My Montessori Coloring Book of Shapes, My First Montessori Book of Numbers, My First Montessori Book of Shapes, My First Montessori Book of Patterns and My First Montessori Book of Leaf Shapes by Mary Da Prato. 

Other books I love in this series include My First Montessori Book of Music Notation, My First Montessori Book of Land and Water Forms and My First Montessori Book of Telling Time. 

We use the My Montessori Coloring Books of Shapes most often. Most pages are simple geometric shapes for colouring. 

"Inspired by the Metal Insets, My Montessori Coloring Book of Shapes is a fun at-home activity book designed for children to practice filling in geometric shapes using the pencil grip to reinforce work done at school.  The pencil grip photographed in the "For Parents" section of the book helps families support their children's fine motor development outside the classroom.  

Filling in geometric shapes with a continuous colored pencil line prepares students in the Montessori Primary Casa, or classroom for three through six year olds, for cursive handwriting. My Montessori Coloring Book of Shapes helps children refine and perfect their fine motor control while simultaneously reinforcing what is practiced in the Casa.  This publication also defines Montessori prerequisites for successful handwriting that can be implemented at home." - Mary Da Prato

This past weekend (after collecting leaves on a nature walk) was the first time we really explored My First Montessori Book of Leaf Shapes. 

"Children are naturally interested in the leaves in their outdoor environment. In the Montessori Casa, or classroom for three to six year olds, students are introduced to the Botany Cabinet which contains puzzle leaf shapes to compare with nature and trace with a stylus for fine motor control. Additionally, Leaf Card Set activities strengthen identification and abstraction skills in preparation for reading and writing." - Mary Da Prato.  

My First Montessori Book of Patterns has been much fun. Mainly for language (some of the patterns have fun names such as hound's-tooth, herringbone) and we have been doing lots of searching for patterns in our home and matching and working on pattern identification. 

The books we have in this series are thoughtfully written and are refreshingly for the Montessori parent - such a rarity.