The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1962-09-21
Education
Continued from page u

tn at appears impossible. II
would require a radical shift in
educational philosophy. money
fer the vast amount of educa-
tional apparatus. plus a years
required internship for teachers
in a Montessori school in order
to learn how to implement the
approach. philosophy and equip
nisnt effectively.
Nevertheless. the Montessori
idea of programmed learning is
gal ing momentum. The New
York Times of May ID. 1862,
cites a Harvard psychologist.
Jerome S. Bruner. as predict
ing the textbooks Of the future
VII come packaged with pro-
grammed materials. The article
indicates that events in educa-
ton are already catching up
with DR.. Burners prediction
starting with the publication by
the New York Center for Pro-
grammed Instruction CT a 1888
page book, "A Guide to Pro-
gramned Institutional Mater
ais Available to Educators by
September. 1862 produced III
cooperation with the S. Of
flee of Education.
Creative Playthings, Inc. Of
Princeton. N. j., with the help
of the principal of the LabOra-
tory School at Trenton State
Teachers College, has recently
launched a packaged Learning
Laboratory" to let a child
IN a IKE his own discoveries
about basic concepts"
Another modern" idea ad-
vanced by Montessori sixty
years ago is that of what has
come to be called the "ungrad-
ed primary" AS adopted by
modern educators, the nongrad-
ed school would begin usually
with kindergarten and would &C
commodate better all children.
be they advanced, average or
SLOW in any area of maturity.
This concept was hailed by
Dr.. Stuart Dean of the U. S.!
Office CT Education, during a
speech last June in Williams
burg. as the greatest break
through in years in the field of
elementary education" He add
ed that about 20 to 20 per cent
of the nations school systems
are experimenting in one form
or n o h with non graded
schools" 1t is being tried in a
few Virginia schools with the
Junior Primary comioina-
ton Of kindergarten and first
grade.
A report on the ron-graded
primary in Controversial, Is
sures in Reading and Promising
Solutions. No. 81, Dec. 1861. in
dictated that the following bene-
fits would result:
l.. A child would not expert
ence failure because of his pro-
gress would be continuous and
he could. if necessary take four
years to complete the primary
program in reading.
2. The accelerated child would /
have an enrichment program.
and in some special cases might
complete the program in two
years.
3. Teachers would be relieved |
from feeling that every child |
must learn to read in his first
year in school.
a. The range of differences in
any one classroom would be re-
duced.
One interesting sideline in the
MOnteSSOri and non graded
school approach is elimination
OF undue competition and pres
sure on the young child. Com
petition. a vital part of our So
ciety. is always present among
children and Is desirable within
limits. However. the young are
unable to cope effective with
it. be it in the field of educa-
ton. sociability or sports, and |
sometimes it can have an ad-
verse effect on an immature
youngsters budding personality.
Removing some of this pres
sure to succeed does not mean
that children should not be Civ
en- every opportunity to develop
to their fullest. nor does it mean
that every means to stimulate
and aid this development should |
not be employed It merely |
means differnce in approach. |
According to the New York |
Times article on programmed |
learning. the new approach to
education. Instead Of empha-
sizing group progress tries |
to give the individual even |
the very young child-as much
chance at independent study
and experimentation as pos |
slble.'
III conclusion, DR.. J. Lloyd |
Trump Richmond Times Dis
patch, June l. 1852 feels that |