New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-09
Educator Prophsies Com
ing of Worlds Brill
liant Epoch.
HER LECTURE HERE
DRAWS BIG CROWD
Audience at Carnegie Hall Hears
How Children'S Minds Should
Be Trained.

There was not an empty seat in Car
negie Hall last night when Dottoressa
Montessori gave her first lecture in New
York upon the educational system she
founded. In the galleries there were rows
OF people four and five deep, standing
The lecture lasted nearly three hours. In
Guiding the time when s. s. Mcclure was
introducing the greatest woman educator
IN history and the time when moving
pictures Of the children in tho Montessori
school were being shown upon a screen.
The stage was hung with American and
Italian flags and over IL was big sign,
America Welcomes DottoreSsa Monies
SORT" on the platform were a large num-
Der of educators OF New York City. Pro-
fessor John Dewey, of Columbia. presided
over the meeting.
Dottoressa Montessori said very little
about the material and equipment Of her
schools but talked more about the sig
nifcance of her method and its relation
10 the spiritual life OF the child and Of
the race.
She saw in IL the foTerunner OF new
science. in which a study would be made
of the normal man, just as the abnormal
man is studied to-day. 1t would be based
upon scientific experiment analogous 10
that with which the phenomena OF nature
have been studied. Through II and the
lessons learned from it a finer, stronger
race will be developed, more courageous.
more capable OF carrying on the work Of
the world in a sturdier, more efficien;
way.
AS the work grew, she said. she herself
came 10 be not so much a teacher as a
~reverent observer" watching the free
development of the lives of the little chill
dren around her. She discovered i'm them
an Independent intellectual and spiritual
life which was quite unconnected with
any of the efforts offered by the teach
ers. This was a growth from within.
Visitors who did not understand this. the
lecturer said, criticised the school because
the children were not occupied every min
ute. NO" answered the teacher. "let
the children mediate.
Because she followed where the chill
dren's meditations led. she said her
method should really be called the story
OF her Surprises"
Il even found" she remarked, that
the childs interest in work surpassed It's
appetite. one day some Visitors came TO
the school They brought some little
cakes. saying. Children. come eat and
rest Now. you know. these were
children Of very poor families. who were
not accustomed to having cakes at home;
but instead Of grabbing and eating them
they looked at the dainties with delight
and exclaimed, Look! There are circles
and rectangles"
Another instance was in home where
the mother was cutting little pats OF but
ter. The child watching suddenly cried:
That's a rectangle.' The mother cut the
corner off the butter pat and the child
cried Now it's a triangle.
The children responded naturally TO the
kindness and gentleness with which they
were treated, showing an inherent noble
ness I'm the human race. for no one had
ever instilled in these poor children any
principles Of politeness. once | tried 70
give them gifts Of bonbons when they
had done their work well. They Would
come running up to me, not looking AZ
the bonbons, their little faces CLOWNS
with the 10y Of hearing word OF com
mendation from the one they loved ana
desiring no other reward
Miss Anne u. George interpreted ioi
Mime. Montessori. Those on the platform
were Professor John Dewey. OF Column
bIa University; Professor Henry Fairheic
Osborn, president, American Museum OIL
Natural History; DR. George W. JacoDy
Montessori American Committee freq
erick 4. Stokes. president Of the Amer
can Publishers Association; DR.. james "
Croswen. principal of the BrearieS
School: Professor James ii. Ballet
dean. School of Pedagogy, New forf
University; Dr. James a. HunsperseI
vice-president OF the international Peace
Bureau; Professor Howard {. warren
Princeton University; Miss Fanniepeht
Curtis supervisor. New York Puphc
School Kindergartens; Miss Ahce r.
Fits. Pratt Institute kindergarten Tram
ing School; Miss NJ NJ. Glidden' Pra.'
Institute kindergarten Training Schooi
MISC Patty Smith Hill. Teachers Colege
Kindergarten Training School; Mrs
Helen NJ scovllle. principal of scoviii'
Na1.