The evening world., 1913-12-04
BEGAN WITH BACKWARD AND
DEFICIENT CHILDREN.

My work In tho beginning was with
defective and backward children" she
explained. II was the first woman to
graduate from the medical college at
Rome and when n philanthropic society
decided a few years ago to open schools
and Fairgrounds for the children In the
| modern tenenIents which II owned I
was asked to develop n programme.
/ had always been specially interested
in child psychology.
, I'm my first experiments I found that
the best way OF reaching the abnormal
child was oy exercising ard Sharpening
his sense Impressions. Thus my system
/ OF auto-eiucat!on was born. For ! ask ed
| myself why the method which brought
, response from the defective child should
not reach even more quickly the normal
| boy or girl and why training should not
begin as early as possible II you watch
small ch!d you will see that 1, in
sLnet.vely tr!es.' all tae time. to see.
hear, touch. taste or smel! more per-
fectly. ] discovered u,at and I let the
child lead the way"
| but 90 you believe in absolutely no
control for small children?' asked pr.
| Montcssorl. rs Il right for a bapy to
lead the way. unchecked. in pulling tho
Kittens tail or slappins his I.;tle
Jrcther?"
Some scandaiized persons have under
stood that the Montessori Method nea,ss
Just such nonsense. They VII! be reas-
sured Il they meet Its founder during
her brlsr visit. For there Ia flrmn. SIS
as well as sweetness in her plump. ex-
preks!ve countenance ami her matrnnly
figure. Her deep brown eyes, dusky
hI!r and oaNe A..in are racial to de-
gree. but Individuality triumphs In the
ihteliigence Of glance and smile.
"Thsss ere thres prtuoiplsy
which al children must under.
stand." she said. "Thsy must not
offend against any moral Law.
They must observe the dsmauds
OF courtesy. Ana they must not
antertsrs with the rights Of othsrs,
PRAISE GOOD RATHER THAN
PUNISH DAD.
Il did not begin my system with the
!dea OF ban.shing al discipline and pun.
shment- That was one OF the results
WI h evolves from ule general method
J have simply found that In the vas,
majority OF cases the child that is prom
erly trained does not need punishment
No form OF corporal punishment 1,
noces ssary, under any circumstances.
If you tell child. This Is ricnt. tn,
IN wrons. { you explain to him tina
: r!gh, things are the things to do, wron,
\ things the things TO avoid doing. va,
Will find II easy to train him In In,
habit OF taking the right course. Par
ticu!arly II you praise and caress hin
for being good. II you put the emphas!
4 on approval instead Of on dLsapprovaI.
But how early may you adopt TIM
. attitudeY" ! inquired.
, "a chtld's training should b..
gin % soon - he 10 born. The
I properly educated baby never cries.
have seen SIXTY infants less than
week old In . Roman hospital
wa-d. with not . wall breaking the
complete silence. Science has not
yet succeeded In eliminating the
r nrst cry OF the nsw-born babs, but
that hrst one should also bs the
last"
: ish a ch Id" | asked. II ~ 30 difficul
:. for New Highlander to lose the theor.
A that original sin must be squelched.
4 Usually the child who misbehave
$ needs medicine and not punishment" Dr.
0ontsssoTa lnslstso. ~ ~ refuses Y