Imagine an independent playtime, where your child learns, develops new skills—and that doesn't involve tablets, television, beeping-bopping toys, or headache-inducing clutter. According to Simone Davies, teacher and author, it exists. Davies is the author of the new book The Montessori Toddler : A parent's guide to raising a curious and responsible human being, where she breaks down the century-old teaching method. The Montessori method is a child-rearing framework with the basic principle that children, naturally, are eager to be independent and learn if you give them an encouraging environment. "It subverts our normal expectations for teaching, which is top-down: where the teacher stands in front of the room and leads the classroom," says Davies. "In this method, we let the children control what and how they learn [within certain perimeters]. It creates a setting that is very hands-on; we want them to engage and grow by trying it...