Newark post., 1913-04-23
A MONTESSORI EXPERIMENT AT
TORRESDALE
Interesting Account of Day at School

plantlng or the MOnteSSOrl method
OF primary education, and its
adaptation and development in
American schools, will be pleased
to learn Of school built especially
to house the methods Of teaching
this system, so close to our homes
as Torresdale. Pa.
This experiment was launched
about twelve weeks ago IN the
attractive new parish house Of
All Saints Protestant Episcopal
Church, which stands in grove of
ancient trees about half mile from
the station. While still an expert
ment from the standpoint of dura-
ton, this advnturc i'll education
has already become a producer of
results that exceed its sponsors ex-
pectations.
The school is under the direction
OF Mrs. Anderson, a competent and
well known educator, who has made
special preparation for this work
by spending several months with
DR.. Montessori in Rome. She is a
thorough believer in the efficacy of
the method and her faith is well
borne out by the progress Of the lit
tie ones in her charge.
The following paragraphs are
clipped from the account of visit
to the school by writer in the
North American (Phila.) of few
weeks ago:
LEARN BECAUSE THEY LIKE
1T
The boys and girls, from three to
six years old, are learning to read
write and figure in less time than
one could well believe, We're it not
that evidence Of their accomplish
ments is so irrefutable.
For instance, on one of the black
boards in the ideal schoolroom-
and it is interesting to note that the
present day blackboard is simply
a sheet Of black rubber cloth pasted
on the wall-stood a row of figures
from l to 10, well-formed and neat
ly written. Indeed, they were far
better than the average numeral
turned out by the pen or pencil of
the average adult.
They were the voluntary product
Of young gentleman of four, who
five weeks ago didn't know a three
from a threnody, and who couldn t
draw a straight line.
| say voluntary because these
figures are written without even a
suggestion from the teacher. The
youngster wanted to make them,
and as it is one Of the cardinal prin-
ciples of the Montessori system to
encourage individual development,
he left his seat at small table
there are no desks i'll this room
and enjoyed himself with the chalk
but not in the usual childish man
ner.
That finished, he went to the set
of shelves at one end of the room
and began unloading the long
stair, y which is simple yet clever
apparatus consisting of ten varying
lengths Of inch-square lumber by
which the budding intelligence is
initiated into an understanding of
"short' and ''long,' and also
guided in the formation Of a sense
Of numbers.
TO test his progress, Mrs. Ander-
son asked him to give her the short
est of the pieces. Promptly he hand
ed her the right one.
"Thank you, that is fine she
said.
Then she asked for the longest
and wa srightly rewarded. Again
thank you and a word of COM
mendation.
"Now, please give me the next to
the longest of those that are left, -
she said.
The kiddo picked up the longest.
Mrs. Anderson did not tell him it
was not the one she wanted. She
did not say word to correct or
help him. AS matter of fact, she
accepted the piece in silence.
And wonderful to relate--at
least it seemed wonderful to me
the boy Immediately picked up the
longest one and handed it to the
teacher, who once more thanked
him and said he was doing well.
NO DONT'S IN SYSTEM
One Of the basic principles of the
MontessOri system is to attract rath-
er than compel response. Instead
of "hammering in" knowledge, as
the good old cramming systems
have been doing all these years, the
idea is to "draw it out. :"
The word "don' t" is never used