About the pictures in the middle of the book

There's a center section of photos in the book about Maria Montessori. The first is a portrait of her, a very strong-looking, handsome woman. A picture of little kids outside on "washing day," washing clothes in wooden sinks and hanging them on a short clothes line. A beautiful, orderly classroom with shelves, drawers, and a walled little corner with things hanging from the wall. It looks like it could be kitchen utinsels, but the picture is too small to make it out. A little boy (three or four) at a table with two sandpaper touchboards. Each board has some areas that are smooth, and some areas that are covered with sandpaper to teach "rough" and "smooth." (It seems like a lot of work to me to teach something that kids will learn just from handling things in the routine of their daily lives.) Large paper cut-out cursive letters with a boy of about ten arranging them to make words (who cut out all those letters?) A girl writing words on a lined chalkboard. Number rods. The manipulatives to teach addition are longer than the child! I imagine that, these days, manipulatives have been scaled down to a more handleable size. Four children arranging events along a long timeline. The timeline is so long (twenty feet?) that it's laying outside on the lawn. Children working with a pegboard to figure out a mathematical equation. And, finally, an aged Maria Montessori with a small child.

At first glance, the materials look impractical and expensive. I would think that children, being designed to learn, could learn without special equipment, or, when equipment helps, that simpler is better. I may be showing my CM bias. Earlier this evening I was wondering why I decided to read this book (what was I thinking!) And then I remembered. I had read an editorial that Charlotte Mason wrote in the early 1900's reacting to the flurry of interest in Maria Montessori when she was the newest trend in education. I thought I'd understand CM's letter better if I understood more about the Montessori method. So, here I am, reading the book, but I feel so biased that I'm not sure I can read with an open mind.

So, this will be Maria Montessori as seen through the eyes of a very biased CM educator.



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If you want to know more about Charlotte Mason, you can start with this FAQ. You can also read CM's six-volume series online, including an in-progress modern English paraphrase, here.