Newark post., 1912-08-21

the hands Of an apprentice, nor
should We place the expanding
and acqui.itive mind of childhood
under the care Of inexperienced
unframed teachers. If we are to
have d revolution IN our methods
Of education it is right here that
it must begin. Up to certain
period Of school life the inStruc-
ton and training for all children
is the same. whatsoever their yo-
cation shall be: Upon the proper
training Of these early years the
intelligent choice Of such vocation
depends.
70 outline the method Of Nine.
/ Montts~ori in educating young
children would take both more
skill in condensation and more
time than is at my disposal. \
thorough explanation Of her work
and ideas is contained in the book
THE Montessori Method. - trans
lated from the original by Anne
+. George. Published April. 1912,
/ by Frederick \. Stokes Co.. New
York. All mothers who are inter
cStcd in the training of their chill
dren. and educators everywhere
should read this book. Her
method has been applied in public
education but a few years. and 50
far only with children from three
to six Years Of age. but it is the
outcome Of ten years OF close study
Of both deficient and normal chill
dren. She bases her system of
education through the senses
| largely on the work done by two
/ French physicians. Hard and lie
guin. The sum Of their labors and
hers makes a period Of fifty years
Of experiment and active work
which prepared for this revolution
! in the method Of primary educa-
/ ton. Her teachers she calls "di-
rectorS' as their duty is to direct
the spontaneous work OF the chill
dren. and note the psychological
reaction from the use Of the didac-
tic materials. The directreSs is a
scientific student as well as IA
teacher and must be highly gifted
as well as carefully prepared. In
/ the hands of one who could not
/ understand the spirit Of the work.
/ It would soon pass into the most
barren Journalism. From the edu-
cation Of the senses to the intel
lectual education is a gradation
most carefully watched and guild
ed by the directresS. the inStruc-
ton is largely in fact almost en-
tirely individual. The perfectly
natural manner in which writing
and reading come from this sense
cultivation is one Of the triumphs
Of her method over the one now
in use.
It does not seem practicable t
. apply her method in its entirety tt
our public school system although
modification Of it could take the
place OF our public kindergartenS
The individual liberty which IS a
the root Of much Of her wori
5 WoulI need even more careful Oh
= rertion with our more nervous
eXcitablc American children; tn
, institution of this method WOull
DO away with the first grade worl
e in the public schools and Woul,
?. mean a remodeling Of all the prl
mary grades. / will close wit
, Nine. Montessori' own words de
E scribing the children who hay
n been three years in her House
7 of Childhood. -
"Children who know how t
= read and write; children VIII
II KNOW uDN W ldht Ntit VI VI. II
o selves: how to dress and undres'
e and to wash themselves; childre
II who are familiar with the rules {
good conduct and courtesy, an
;, who are Thoroughly disciplined !
+ the highest sense Of the term, hay
G ING developed. and become mas
. ers Of themselves. through liberty
, children who possess besides
perfect mastery Of the articulat
; language, the ability to read wri
/ ten language in an elementar
y way, and who begin to enter upo
/ the conquest Of logical Language
: These children pronounce clearl,