Arizona republican., 1915-09-19


 l es were held at the normal school.
 From San Diego pr. Montessori l went to San Francisco to conduct I classes and give lectures and be a | guest of honor of the N. E.. A. She | was always we'll groomed and | charmingly gowned in black. In one of his introductions President Jordan I made many of us glad in telling us l something of her life. She was the 1 only child of wealthy people of the | hest Italian families. After gradu- ! ating from the high school she ap- ! piled to enter the medical college but was not allowed to enter. Her l father sought the pope who gave his | permission and she graduated in I medicine with high honors-the only woman in the class, also the first woman physician of Italy. She be- gan to work with the poor and help I less children especially the afflicted, l that alone should make us honor this Italian educator. It was that l experience which led her into her system of education. Scientific treatment of abnormal children could bring them up to the same standard of the normal child. Why not use scientific methods in the training of the normal2 The best thinkers and students of science are in accord with her methods of teaching and pr. Nontessori is wishing to carry her system throug. the entire educa- tlon of the child-already has it de- veloped through the eleventh year,
 but the formula is not yet given to
 the public. Two model classes were
 conducted for observation One.
 under Miss Moore, of Los Angeles,
 at the auditorium in Oakland where
 the N F. A. sessions were held, and
 one in the Palace of Education, at the Worlds Fair, San Francisco The
 furniture of toth these class rooms
 was designed by Louise Brigham,
 author of the famous box furniture
 The one at the Auditorium was
 study in brown. beautiful in design and color scheme, but very unlike
 that exquisite house of childhood"
 at the fair grounds. The house is
 made of glass and furnished in blue gray white that fitted right into the bambinos own lovelness. The classes were limited to thirty chil- dren and you may know of the popularity and interest centered about, this work when I tell you one | thousand of San Francisco's best children are on the waiting list. never saw such a healthy perfect lot of young citizens-ranging from 2h years to 6. Dr. Montessori allows no set of programs. As the children arrive they go at once where the spirit leads off for work; they help l themselves to what they wish in the
 matter of material Some just look | tsaf .l s..I.
 l to the tables; some sit on the floor:
 some get pretty pink dust cloths and dust the tables and chairs If they are so inclined. No one is dis | turbed if they are doing right Con- centration is never broken and a little fellow stays for an hour if he is interested in his work. If his first choice is not to his liking he carefully puts it away and chooses l until satisfied. At any time the one in charge of the children goes quiet ly when it seems fit, to the piano, plays softly march. the children go in the circle at will. It is not long until most of them are in the circle but most always several littse inves- tigators. creators. thinkers. builders
 or whatever you have a mind to call
 these Montessori children stick to
 their job until they are satisfied.
 Some stay at one thing for more
 than an hour, but when they put away the material they leave it with a joyous look of accomplishment not weary and tired as one is apt to
 think. The material is all worked out through the senses and that of touch is the greatest. pr. MonteS- sori is charming when talking about mothers and their "donts' to little children when it is natural for them to desire to touch and handle every thing within reach. Her lectures on
 The Mother and the Child" makes one truly feel that woman is hon. ored in being the mother of the race while but few realize their power This brings one to the true meaning of this great woman movement which is to lead the nations out of bondage to past traditions. The universal peace for which each nation is striV- ing and which will do away with armies and navies can only come through the teaching of the children. We cannot change "grown-ups'' but we can SOW the seeds of what is right and just to all in the soul soil of little children. And after the seed is sown it must be nurtured and cultivated best in the home hen in the school. Eventually we give him to the world a citizen with a spiritual development and a truly moral character A human being in which the higher nature rules in the experiences of life. Then only will universal love rid men and women of hate and jealousy and envy which is the outcome of the human sell fishness which is consuming the na- tions.