New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-08
NATURAL EDUCATION
Mrs. Marietta johnson and Her
Organic Schools at Fairhope
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: In looking far back to my boy
hood days recall often my uncomfort-
able experiences as schoolboy in the
old town academy and compare its tire
some oppressiveness with some Of the
pleasanter and more efficient methods
Of to-day, and I note with much salts
faction a movement that is now on foot
to establish in New York new and
better plan of teaching the young,
called the Free Organic School for
Children.
1t seems that Mrs. Marietta Johnson
has for nine years been working out
this idea Of organic or natural educa-
ton for young children at Fairhope,
Ala, and the success of her work is at
tested by such educators as DR.. Dewey,
of Columbia, the Superintendent of
Schools in Alabama and many others.
Last year her free school registered
1877 pupils, and the good she is doing in
her community is inestimable. Her
plan is to take the child in its plastic
period and teach it, not through books,
but through training the senses; not
through forced inactivity, but through
natural activity. There are no desks,
no lessons, no pouring In" Of knowl-
edge by the teacher, but the natural
requirement Of knowledge through act
ual contact with things. There are
walks, talks, stories, drama, dancing,
nature work Of all kinds at first hand
mot from books, all kinds of hand
work suited to the development of the
child, play, both free and supervised
everything that tends toward the nat
ural development Of the child. Read
ing and writing are not forced upon
the pupil until he or she reaches the
age when the muscles Of the eye and
hand are ready for such fine work.
What reading the child gets is found
in names of objects printed in large
type and attached to those objects, so
that his eye rests upon the name
wherever he sees the object. All the
writing he gets is in the training Of
the hand to the larger movements nat
ural to the stage of development of
the muscles. Mrs. Johnson does not
believe in forcing the development Of
the child mentally any more than
physically, and she believes that a
school should not make demands Of the
child (by examination, for instance),
but should ascertain what the indi-
vidual child needs and then furnish
what he requires. 1t all sounds very
simple and natural, and yet it Is so
vital that it seems a wonder our teach
ers have not always recognized this
principle and taught according TO it.
A school Of this kind in New York
would surely be a godsend TO the COM
munity, and when We are yearly spend
ing millions Of dollars endowing our
universities and only 10 per cent Of our
children ever 60 on to finish In the
high school It seems that We should
give more real thought and effort tow
ard the education Of tho other 80 per
cent.
Professor John Dewey, Of Columbia,
has examined the school at Fairhope,
and has declared in print that "the
school has demonstrated that it is pos
sible for children to lead the same
natural lives in school that they lead
in homes Of the right sort outside o.
school, to progress bodily, mentally and
morally In school without Fictitious
pressure, rewards, examinations, grades
or promotions.
There are no patent devices. no
peculiar methods or appliances, and
what has been done Is simply to pro-
vide the conditions for wholesome, nat
ural growth In small enough groups for
the teacher Gas leader rather than as
an INSTRUCTOR to become acquainted
with the weaknesses and powers OF each
child, and thus adapt the work to in
dividual needs"
]. C. PUMPELLY.
New YsYk, Oct 30. 1914