New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-05
Private School Tots Sing
of Billikens and Play
on Tiny Piano.
PEDICULOSIS LIVES
IN SCALP, NOT FEET
"Six Little Lorelei" Are Neu-
trail, Even if They Are
Afflicted.
By IENRIETTA RODMAN.

by 4tEANhlE L ia hoDhh-'.
In the Leete School, at II East Six
tieth Street, the Montessori system Is
not only being taught but is being de-
veloped by two young girls in some
very interesting and remarkable ways.
One Of these girls. Margaret Naum-
burg, was graduated from Barnard in
1912. She went TO Italy and studied
with DR.. Montessori. Then she studied
dancing with Dslcroze, and later with
Alys Bentley.
Clare Raphael has studied music and
aesthetic dancing here and abroad. She
said to me yesterday: 81 was amazed
at frst to find that DR.. Montessori did
so little work with sound in her sense
training. Then, Of course, realized
that no one genius can possibly con<
struct a complete system of education
That Is the work Of a whole genera
ton"
ave have accepted DR.. Montessori's
work with keen appreciation Of It's
great value" said Margaret Naum-
burg, "and We have added TO II what
we have learned from other great
teachers, from Froebel and DslcroSe,
and Miss Bentley, and most recently
from Mr.. Matthias Alexander. Of Lon
DON"
Miss Raphael has had musical in
struments of one scale made for the
children. The piano, she says, Is too
complicated for little folk. She en-
courages the children to make melodies,
to find the tones on their musical bars,
to clap rhythms and sing and dance.
"These youngsters learn to think
music before they learn to play" said
Miss Raphael. "They make some anus
ing little songs-phrases that they
sing impromptu-'My billiken has no
mother little girl sang.
Sometimes they quite consciously
make songs and dance while they sing.
"A day in this Montessori class is
based on no hard and fast programme.
During the first hour the children play
with the materials, according TO their
! choice.
"The Montessori method Is, Of course,
to develop the individuality of each
child" Miss Naumburg explained. THE
material Is all left within reach Of the
children, kindergarten materials for
cutting, pasting and sewing, the music
boxes, drawing materials and building
blocks.
I'VE show the children how TO use
these things, and they go ahead accord-
ing TO their individual interests and
needs. At first they tend to fit from
one activity to another. but soon they
begin to concentrate, and gradually ths
whole class becomes q self-directing
community"
Just then Miss Raphael struck a
chord on the piano. The youngsters
of four and FIVE, who were writing on
the blackboard, playing with the
Montessori materials or picking OUT
tones in the music boxes, gradually lefa
these fascinating activities, put their
materials away and set the little tables
for an IL o'clock luncheon Of graham
crackers and milk. They served one
another in charming lowered mugs.
and when they had finished the orderly
tots cleared away the dishes.
Then they danced and sang qu'ss de-,
! lightfully and finally went down to thu
yard for an hours play with sand, ses-
saws and gardens.
Why have we only one-tenth ~ manr
: Montessori classes in the public schools
as there are in private schools in the
city?
Yesterday this column contained srfA
! little Loreleis sitting on their desks
wrestling with problem OF personal
/ cleanliness" Somebody regarded Lo-,
releis as unneutral and cut them OUT.
leaving nothing 10 suggest that pedicu-
losis, which afflicts about 80 per cent,
of school children, is a disease not or
] the feet but Of the head.
! Professor Charles II. Judd, director
/ Of the School of Education in the Uni~
Nerslty OF CHlcdso, EePoi.S '"as w"
English public school teachers have
national trade union. Eighty thousand
of tho two hundred thousand teachers
| in the country are regular annual
members Of the union.
1.-THE officers are persons OF large po-
litical importance" says Professor
Judd. "They are in constant commune
cation with the national board OF edu-
cation and with local school authorities
to protect the interests Of individual