The Washington times., 1913-12-06
EDUCATOR TO TELL
OF NEW METHODS
Madame Montessori Will Give
Illustrated Lecture Tonight
on Her School in Rome.

The first personal story by Dr.. Maria
Montessori. the originator of the sys
TEN of education that is revolutionizinf
the world, will be given to the Ameri
can public tonight at the Masonic Tenn.
pie, Thirteenth street and New York
avenue, when she will outline hel
method of improving the present schoo
| system. This lecture will be the first
Madame Montessori will deliver in this
country and the followers of her sys-
| TEN of education are determined to
make it the gala event of her limited
| stay in America.
In furtherance of this plan, a recep-
| ton committee has been formed with
! Miss Margaret Wilson. DR.. Philander
| +. Claxton, DR.. William NJ. Davidson,
| Dr. Alexander Graham Bell and a host
| of others and Madame Montessori Will
receive those who desire to meet her
after the lecture. A number OF noted
pedagogues have arrived in the city TO
supplement the Washington COLONY that
has its nucleus in the Montessor1 Ed
ucational Association of America and
such time as could be spared today py
the noted woman from her urgent en-
gagements has been given over 10
greeting the many who called on her.
Interpreter for Lecture.
Madame Montessori will not under
take to speak in English. but her re-
marks will be interpreted as she pro-
ceeds by Miss Anne L. George the
active agent of the association and a
former pupil in Rome.
DIR. Alexander Graham Bell, who is a
member of the board of directors OF the
Montessori Educational Association, or
which Mrs. Bell is president, will intro
duce DIR. Montessorf to her first Amerl-
can public
The motion pictures which S. S. Nc
Clure brought to this country to illus
trate Dr. Montessori's lectures, will be
shown for the first time in public to-
night They so thoroughly illustrate
the subject matter of the lecture that
one need hardly understand Italian or
pay as strict attention to the transla-
ton as would be necessary without
them.
Even before the Montessori methods
had been made known In this country.
it was becoming more and moro appar-
ent each day that an education which
attempts to force all human beings into
the same mold, without regard to their
individual capacities. could not develop
the full power of each, but might in
many cases smother or distort them.
Saving Child's Time
That there is 4 great waste of time
expended in Useless work is disclosed by
the. Montessori method. Much of this
waste may be avoided if the child can be
trained at the formative age TO the best
Use of mis- faculties.
This the Montessori method claims to
90. and how 1t is to be done will he ex-
piained tonight, the fundamental idea
BEING that the child should lie allowed
TO develop naturally along lines indi-
Gated BY its own individuality.
Following ner visit to the Montessori
school on Kalorama avenue, Dr. Mon
tessori exclaimed: 81 never dreamed
that school so characteristic of my
teaching existed in this country"
During her stay here she has not only
been IGNORED with marked attention
from members of the Presidents family.
but the Italian embassy has extended
marked consideration to her. OF Wash
inSton. MThe. MontesSoTi would only
say: Il regard IL as a wonderful COM
blnation of greatness and peace"