The Washington herald., 1913-12-07
give Children
THEIR OWN Way
DR.. Montessori Says that Is
Foundation Of Her
System.
MANY ATTEND LECTURE
Miss Margaret Wilson and Dr.. Alex.
ander Graham Bell in Dis
tinguished Audience.

Development OF the normal child wa.
said by DR.. Maria Montessori, in the
first lecture she has delivered in this
country, last night at Masonic Temple
to be the foundation OF her system OF
education.
Science, DR.. Montessori said, has con.
fined itself to the study OF abnormal
children to the neglect OF ordinary
kids"
About 1000 distinguished Washington.
ians and diplomats heard Dr. Montessor
tell, for the first time, OF her philosophy
of child education. When she went or
the platform. DIR. Montessori was cheered
heartily by the audience, which stood in
her honor. Miss Margaret Wilson at.
tended the lecture.
DR.. Montessori complimented DR.. Alex.
ander Graham Bell. who introduced her
by saying that he and his wife had
added to the long list OF his accomplish
ments when they organized the first
Montessori school here. She said some
thing favorable regarding Miss Anne ].
George, head of the American system,
but Miss George, who interpreted the
Italian of DR.. Montessori, refused to tell
what was said.
Humility and simplicity. DR.. Montes-
sori said, are the first things required
plOpEllg 10 GAuNdlC one tdlu
that the teacher must learn from the
child, and should place herself in the
background.
Must Wait for Child.
Nothing really worthy, DR.. Montessori
said. is being done by science for the
ordinary child. She said that scientists
had devoted themselves to the study OF
deficient children. Theyt should. DR..
t. .rg III
voted to abnormal children to ordinary
children, who vastly are in the ma
jority.
The system OF education that requires
the same efficiency of every child, DR..
Montessori said, essentially is wrong.
because all children are not alike. The
new science, she said. is not a system of
measuring and judging, but of waiting
for a child TO show its initiative.
Her first work. DR.. Montessori said,
was among abnormal children. Finding
that that type developed so fast, under
the new system, as normal children un-
der the old, she wanted to see If normal
children could be made to develop in
proportion.
TO set children free and develop activ-
ity-not to teach anything directly-is
the object of teaching, DR.. Montessori
said. She said that childish activity
should be guarded. The children under
her system, DR.. Montessori said, have
developed faster than those in public
schools, especially in morals.
Children under her care, she said, have
learned to do the best they can. and
they have developed their morals in that
way. She said she leaves scientific theo-
ries behind when she enters class rooms.
Helped by Children.
Sentiment. religion and the spiritual
life, DR.. Montessori said, were the three
things which it is most important TO de-
velop in the upbuilding OF a normal man.
She urged simplicity in teaching chill
dren.
DR.. Montessori was modest in speaking
OF her part. She said she has been study
ing children, and that they have done
the work for which she is credited. She
said the basis of her system Is to per-
nit the children to do what they wish.
S. S. Mcclure, who was responsible for
DR.. Montessoris trip here, delivered
preliminary speech.
Moving pictures Of the Montessori sys-
tenn of education were shown for the
first time. They reproduced all sorts of
games that are played by the children.
who regard as fun the usually dreaded
OF hands.
A reception for DR.. Montessori was
given at the home of DR.. Bell follow
ng the lecture.