The Day Book from Chicago, Illinois • Page 25

mmmmmmmm WPWWTWWWW out the country -will be illustrated by film pictures of her "House of Child hood" in Rome, and an interpreter will translate her explanatory remarks But Madame Montessori is mistress of the French tongue, as well as of he own, so that she has no difficulty in communicating her thoughts to the in terviewer. "The basic principle of the Montessori method of teaching childrei from two and a half to six years of age is what I call auto-education," shi said to me. "I believe that if you give the child happiness proper surroundings proper clothes, good air and good food and if you place him in contact witl objects which stimulate and interest him he will educate himself! "I regret ah idea seems to prevail here that 'The Montessori method is specially effective in dealing with defective children. As a matter of fact it is particularly beneficial to the normal child, and I am now working ou! a plan to extend the system to all children up to 16! At present, though-my pupils are mainly from two and a half to six years of age. "I am a physician," Dr.

Montessori added, with a little note of pride "and I gained my knowledge of the psychology of the child after an earnea study of his physiology. My metnod is, briefly, to put tne cmias way such objects as will interest him and to let him seek information about them. In my 'House of Childhood' in Rome every object in the rooms occupied by little children even the very chairs is adjusted to the size of those who will occupy them and each pupil is permitted to have a choice of any of the pretty, instructive toys designed for some special purpose to show him, for instance, how to distinguish colors, or to measure, or to build. "He is taught to distinguish rough from smooth surfaces. Gradually he learns the feeling and the shape of letters or figures which I have cut from smooth or rough paper and pasted on bits of wood.

Finally he puts them together into words, or almost unconsciously traces them with a pencil, learning to write without ef-. fort! A child of three has learned to write in six weeks in this way! "I have heard that the Montessori method does away altogether with punishment," I said. "The abolishment of punishment is merely a result not a cause of the 'Mme. Montessori replied. "A logical consequence, not a deliberate purpose.

I believe the child who i3 comfortable and happy and whose bodily, mental and spiritual needs are known and looked aftei will not require punishment. I no. only beHeve this, I Know it! "A cHild cries or haa fits of merely to make known its wants When its needs are known in advanci and attended to it does not cry. On of the most interesting sights in the world, I think, is the clinic in the stat hospital at Rome, where in one large beautifully-lighted room one may se 60 new-born babies lying side by sid and never a whimper from any one of them. The silence in that room new life is more complete, more impressive than that which prevails ir the room of death.

"These babies are the children very poor mothers from whom the are taken almost at birth, because the doctors have found that it is im possible, to teach these mothers when left alone, not to do too much for the child, just as my greatest difficulty with teachers is to instil th principle of auto-education to le' the child teach itself. In this large hospital room these little mites li peacefully all day long. is sound from them save a faint sucking of the lips which announces that thej are ready for their food which thej should have every two hours. "It i3 only at meal-time that the mothers see their babies "and no on M-L.