La Junta tribune., 1913-03-29
The MOntessori Method.

! ~ i'''Nl NS' ung OF the tlty
Federation Of Nomen's Clubs at Har.
mony Hall under the auspices OF
tae North I.g Mmta Womans Club.
the program was devoted to tle
merits and disadvantages Of the new
educational system. known as the
Montessori system. Mrs. W \. Lew
is had most Interesting paper on
IA New Educational Movement" and
we quote IN part. as follows:
"Educators nave given much at
tention in Tale past year TO new
educational movement which has
arisen in Italy Il is novel and i'm.
portant in that it presents meth
cd which succeeds in giving poise
and self-conlrll to very young child
rem by mean OF an elaborate system
of sense Training II gives practical
mastery of the processes OF reading
and writinp @, the age OF four or
five years, II is interesting. also.
because It Is the work OF women
worked out by The mind and hand Of
woman. II is not all original. 1t
/ Is not oriengl In the sense that
Froebel's system was. but as new
combination oi dement's already In
existence. Il Is the work of Maria
| Montessori. woman thoroughly
trained as physician. psychologist
and teacher II is remarkable also,
In that 1t is the result of expert
meuts madc In the training OF idi-
/ ots. II was Considered nothing short
OF marvelous that idiots could pass
the same eNaminations as normal
children OF the same age.
DIR. Monl1s.oH claimed that the
normal child was restricted and re-
pressed instead Of being aided to de
velop in natural, free way. She
Was anxious To apply the same meth
ods to normal children. and the
chance came TO her through Edward
4 Talamom. a rlyil engineer and the
leader OF a movement for civic bet
terment In Rome. In the course of
a land boon In one OF the suburban
districts. n whole quarter OF fine
apartments Was erected. Before any
OF them Were occupied. the crash
came and none NJ them could be
rented to purplr II the class for
whom they were Intended. but they
were soon oyprorowded by people
from the slums and conditions soon
became intplruhl" Here were ia
be establish schools which would
provide no, only Tor the mental train
ing OF the children In the apartments
but for social raining, ANA for their
care during 'ha hours when IN,
mother was employed in earning a
living. Maame Maria Montessor
was given .onpi't" charge OF h'
school. ard left To work out he
theorics .H perfect freedom. Moth
ing could nave suited ner better. ant
the wonderful results attained jus
tilted fUa confidence placed In her
The children learned to wash aud
dress Il'msolves TO sct the tables
and srr the lunchcons, 10 read
and WrIr and do simple number
work M this was accomplished
In 50 mmonious aud orderly manner
that un Ia clpllno was required"
Mis- Hritty gave comprehensive
reyiUu .. Miss Anne + Goorgrs
tmsIlf.H Of the book The Monies
s1ri H ID" Miss Beatty d"scrib
I'D m Hdl the methods by which
Doctor ntcssori aDhiDy,d such W1r
darm ilts. aud enumerated u'
maug clos lnolrdcd ln what De-
know the "diiuur material us
od IH tessorl schools
MI. ucl Wolfe t,ll OF various
ads. rillcisms that hnyr bc.a
made prominent educators iu ouI
own ny to the N0utcts r aa
tom claim that tH're is hn'
.g ar Ig about Il thhi s nrn io
our uy.-and that much iIai d
adta. is nov considered hy m
aF uH te.