The Montessori system of education values learning through play ... work things out for themselves by playing with objects, toys and games that stimulate innate abilities and build skills.

To choose the best Montessori toys, I first consulted with Slavens, along with Wendy Levey, an educational consultant, and Kara Kushnir, LCSW, a child therapist at A Work of Heart Counseling.

A Powell preschool feared its doors would close last month, but on April 1 the halls were filled with gleeful shrieks, wooden ...