I work with a lot of parents, so I’m always on the lookout for good books to recommend — especially ones that make it very easy to follow Montessori principles at home. When I saw that Saniyyah of @skmontessori was getting ready to publish two Montessori Life Skills books, I immediately pre-ordered I Did It Myself! to see if it would be a good fit for the parents I work with… and it didn’t disappoint!

I Did It Myself! is a book for toddlers and preschoolers that gives step-by-step picture instructions on how to complete many self-care tasks that are part of the Montessori Practical Life curriculum. I love that it goes through each of the daily tasks a child would need to complete to get ready for the day, plus a couple of Montessori Grace & Courtesy skills such as how to handle meeting someone new and what to do when you need to excuse yourself from a situation. The detailed color photographs that go along with each lesson isolate each step with children of a variety of ethnicities, ensuring that every child can seen themselves in this book.

Activities included:

• Brushing My Teeth
• Applying Lotion
• Washing My Hands
• Getting Dressed
• Brushing or Combing My Hair
• Putting on My Socks and Shoes
• Putting on My Coat
• How to Cough, Sneeze, or Yawn
• Blowing My Nose
• Meeting Someone New
• Excusing Myself
• Quiet Time

There’s even some “Guidance for Grown-Ups” at the end of the book, laying out the reasons we encourage Montessori practical life skills and explaining what other skills can be gained through these lessons.

And for the kids who like to keep track of their work, there’s a Skills Chart on the back cover that allows the child to slide a tab to mark each task as it is completed.

My own girls would have absolutely adored this book when they were younger! I definitely recommend it for anyone with young children!