The Detroit times., 1917-03-15

"a sysssm Of teaching with sound
psychological basis I, 10 the her
aid Of vast moral awakening
No one need wonder st the pro
xress Of her thought In England and
In Switzerland. A preparation wss
begun long aso by such men a.
Huxley. Spencer. Rnskin. Arnolc
and Joseph Payne in England and
in Europe long before that Resta'
lorxi. Froebel and hosts OF others
were planting the seed OF education
al freedom
Here in the United States our
modified and humanized eourses OF
study bear eloquent testimony to
the influence Of her genius. Tho
this obligation has in too many
cases. been without acknowieds
ment. Il cannot be concealed. Her
books have Influenced our primary
and kindergarten work from the
FIRST month OF their appearance.
Script letters cut out OF emery pa
per are being used I'm the elemen-
tary. penmanship lessons. The
game of silence is popular right
here In Detroit.
Her Italian critic who objected
to her methods because they made
little anarchist out OF the chill
dren." was so completely sub
merged In his abysmsl ignorance OF
all that her schools stand for. that
we may web leave him out OF con-
alteration The exact Opposite 10
the case. After a long day OF con-
genial work and tranquil enjoy
ment, the children when dismissed
IN the afternoon. show none Of the
botsterous relief Of pupils who have
been IN ordinary school conditions
for q much shorter time. The
Montessori children who have en-
joyed freedom all day. have no
need TO feel like suddenly released
prisoners. II In not liberty which
makes anarchists. bat the reverse.
Indeed. the greatest hardship In a
teachers work day In the need tcz
apparent need OF coercion. The
urging and compelIing Of children
TO right conduct and habits OF in
dustry, the terrible you must" so
often repeated. these are what wear
I out the nerves and tnrn pleasant
work into drudgery. By admitting
children. before vicious habits are
formed. 20 the Houses OF Childhood
and furnishing them with work
which they enjoy doing. this bug.
bear Of compulsion 10 practically
eliminated.
When a student OF the Monies
sorf system called the children TIT
tie miracles OF selfdisciplined
grace" he Was utterins q very sig.
niAcant truth He was putting In
In ssatsncs o. fsmdAmsntsi di6er-
ence between the new freedom and
the old restraint.
But this educational Freedom can,
not be allowed In a class Of 50 chill
dren. Until public sentiment
frowns upon the overcrowded class
and abolishes n forever. there q
very little prospect Of q speedy re.
form. The education OF the future
seems : long distance away. Per.
haps n IL better 80. n win take a
long time to train any adequate
number OF Montessori teachers.
We are content 20 wait. No vep
wisher Of DR. Montessori desires To
pat the new wine into old bottles
especially M they are already half
| full OF the mildew of prejudice.
The way Froebei's original plan
was tempered wfth 10 q sunrient
warning He formulated q three
year kindergarten course to begin
when the child vas four years old
That was not speedy enough for
people who advocate ~set-wiss
quick" methods. Accordingly an
economy OF time and money vs. ef-
fectsd By cutting on two years OF
the course Today in many cities
the child enters the kinderGsrten
a. I've and remains yeshIs that
giving the child, In the kinderssr.
ten half a chance