Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-12-12

CeO00S1 oyOyO0 ~
has arrived N this eouatzy
to study our systems Of sdueatioa. TO
~ the work done ~ her own students
In different parts Of the country and
especially 70 give the people Of Amer
lea who have oppressed an interest In
her system q broader visw Of the work.
1t 10 said that there are between six
ty.nve and seventy teachers In the
United States who have studied under
her and have received certificates au-
thorixing them to teach her method.
Rhode Island IL the only state in this
country which has taken up officially
the Montessori system Of education.
and there 1t Is to be introduced into
the state Normal school. Miss Clara
Craig. supervisor Of observation and
training schools In Rhode Island. was
sent by her state to take a four
months course at the Montessori
school. and upon her return the state
officially accepted her report advising
the adoption OF the method . instruc-
ton. The only other countries repre-
| sented at the school with her. she said.
were India and England.
First Experiment Here.
The drst "house Of childhood" as the
Montessori schools are called. In the
United States was started In 1911 at
| Tarrytown. N. Y. BY Miss Anne E.
| George. who now has a similar school
IN Washington. Miss George was DR..
Montessori's first American pupil.
This Montessori school is still In opera
ton aud ia in charge of a former as
sistant Of Miss George.
Superintendent of Schools Maxwell
and the New York board Of education
have also caught the Montessori fever.
and a "house Of childhood was re-
Gently established in Brooklyn for the
purpose Of trying out the system.
American educators first had their
attention focused on DR.. Montessori's
method Of teaching young children by
the leading article In McClure's Maya
zine for May. 1911. 1t was named IAN
Educational Wonder Worker" with
1.-THE Methods Of Maria Montessori''
us a subhead. and was written by Miss
! Josephine Tozier.
Thanks to the publicity given to her
educational message. Nine. Monies
SORTS name il better knew: n Amert-
ca today than that Of Froebel and
Pestalozzi. Her most enthusiastic sup
porters contend that she is ever great
er than these two kindergartners. as
they. had q metaphysical and philo-
sophical standpoint. while she is pri-
marily a scientist and . psychologist
DR.. M~ontesson says that she was the
arst woman in Rome to take up tho
study Of medicine and that It attract
ed / great deAlfef attention and criti-
cism. Z Finally It was carried to the
ears OF Pope Leo XIII. He. however.
gave hi approval. saying he could see
no harm In It She was graduated in
1895 from the College Of Medicine in
Rome. ta -
Nine. Montessori has brought to the
United States motion picture tiims
which will show. exactly how the work
is carried on In the Houses Of Child
hood in Rome. After her series of lee
lures she will return to Rome early in
January. arr
The Eontessori Method.
DR.. Montessori hopes to start in
Rome . school In which she may take
young children and carry them through
a term Of ten years or more. 1t will
be a laboratory school where the chii-
dren may be studied carefully and
where they will live constantly under
the supervision Of the instructor. In
this school Nine. Montessori hopes to
have children Of different %nationali-
ties. Her method Of instruction is so
fundamental. she says. that 1t applies
to the children Of any nationality.
The children under her supervision
now are from two and a half to Eve
years old. Authorization" is the
basis q her system. She places a
child in an environment Of which it is
the master. The furniture Of the room
Is small. The child is not confined to
q desk and follows its own inclination
ls to position. To insure its physical
we'll being aud for plenty o1 fresh air
there are gardens connected with the
school.
Even babies are perfectly good II
they are treated properly. says Nine.
Montessori. "In a hospital in Rome
there are ip one ward sixty babies.
and there is not a sound. II they de-
sire anything they ask for 1t. They
are separated from their mothers. who
are poor and ignorant Tomen and
would not understand that they must
be left tranquil. They are fed every
two hours. and when that time comes
they make a slight noise with their
lips, but they do not cry"
A child. she says, viii recognize a
ray Of light when It IL seven days
old, and then its Psychological nfe be-
gins.
Guiding Young Mentality.
A passive, not an active guidance
Of the eagerness Of young mentality
Ii DR.. Aontessori's principle, a. has
been indicated. From three years old
up the child II irrepreNibly anxious
to learn. It need never b driven, the
streams Of tn ever active intelligence
requtrs only channels - lead Il from
the things Il already touches, sees and
hears, to an association with things,
names ana ideas that make up the
stock Of knowledse Of mankind. Rough
and snooth detected In the different
RnPfacM 81 cards PLAYED With: hot and