The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-23

w THO ever heard of cooperative
" schooi7 Montclair. N. j.. CEN
tire Of good schools and cooper
stiye enterprises, has maintained for
three years a cooperative school. edu-
eating some forty children according to
the latest discoveries Of psychology. To
be sure, many OF these discoveries were
made over 1000 years ago. and have
been recognized and taught by every
educator aimee the time of Plato. But
there 10 generally some insuperable OBJ
jeotion TO applying them in actual school
work. Parents are anxious that their
children should be trained like the
Joneses. Teachers find It much easier
to prepare their pupils for examinations
than for life. Taxpayers object to edu-
eating twenty children at cost equal
to that Of grinding forty through the
old system. So psychological laws are
discussed in teachers associations but
are carefully excluded from the school
room.
Three years ago a group OF Montclair
mothers who had studied psychology In
their college and CLUB work decided to
apply the science to the education Of
their own children. They formed
league. contributed buildings, supplies
faculty and pupils and started demon
stration of their theories. patterning 10
a great extent after Mrs. Marietta
Johnson's school at Fairhope, Ala. listed
by Or. Dewey among the SCHOOLS OF
Tomorrow"
But" ask the critics. sis II wise to
hasten the dawn Of a tomorrow? Is IL
safe to develop the creative genius OF
any child before ne Is stiffened mentally
by the tonic three Rs?"
Now the creative spirit OF childhood
IL that which the league Is most jealous
in preserving. Moreover, psychology
teaches that tho eye OF a young child Is
an imperfect instrument. and that II Is
injured by fine muscular adjustments.
Motor development also Is more rapid
between the ages OF and IL than at
any time later. So the league works
with nature and substitutes the hammer.
saw, plane. file. paint and lumber for
the book, slate and pen of the old
regime. Instead OF sitting down to study
their lessons to crook their spines and
spoil their eyesight the fortunate chill
dren of the cooperative school Joyously
create uOll uouScc, "o6OhS'
boats, whatever ideal they long to ex-
press And to the horror of the old time
pedagogue little girls use tools with the
same Joy and the same facility as the
little boys. For their development seems
subject to the same laws
Psychology insists upon the impor-
lance OF the young child developing per-
ception and forming a store of sensory
images. so the league takes its children
to tho brooks and forests. the hillsides
and quarries. They learn to test min
erals, to recognize flowers and trees and
birds. to love and protect all harmless
life, to distinguish and destroy harmful
creatures These children have kept the
adjoining park free from the tussoo>y
moth by destroying It's eggs. burning the
cocoons upon which the eggs are laid.
They have tried without much success
to protect the milk snakes which have
come down from the mountains TO guard
the war gardens by eating predatory
rodents. For the average grown up
knows a copperhead when he sees one
and will not learn the distinction from a
child. III Mary's little lamb had come
to our school," a league child summed
II up. the teacher would not have
turned It out OF doors She would have
kept It there for US to study and play
with"
, Because the verbal memory IL SO keen
at the league children begin using
foreign language at that age. Spanish
being chosen on account OF Its coming
Importance. They converse and play