Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook — Maria Montessori
Montessori's Own Handbook, by Maria Montessori. Montessori's Own Handbook This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org . If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title : Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook Author : Maria Montessori Release date : August 8, 2009 [eBook #29635] Language : English Other information and formats : www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29635 Credits : Produced by Alicia Williams, Dan Horwood and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.) *** START OF MONTESSORI'S OWN HANDBOOK *** Dr. Maria Montessori DR. MONTESSORI’S OWN HANDBOOK BY MARIA MONTESSORI AUTHOR OF “THE MONTESSORI METHOD” AND “PEDAGOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY” WITH FORTY-THREE ILLUSTRATIONS NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS Copyright, 1914, by Frederick A. Stokes Company All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages May, 1914 TO MY DEAR FRIEND DONNA MARIA MARAINI MARCHIONESS GUERRIERI-GONZAGA WHO DEVOTEDLY AND WITH SACRIFICE HAS GENEROUSLY UPHELD THIS WORK OF EDUCATION BROUGHT TO BIRTH IN OUR BELOVED COUNTRY BUT OFFERED TO THE CHILDREN OF HUMANITY NOTE BY THE AUTHOR As a result of the widespread interest that has been taken in my method of child education, certain books have been issued, which may appear to the general reader to be authoritative expositions of the Montessori system. I wish to state definitely that the present work, the English translation of which has been authorised and approved by me, is the only authentic manual of the Montessori method, and that the only other authentic or authorised works of mine in the English language are “The Montessori Method,” and “Pedagogical Anthropology.” vii PREFACE If a preface is a light which should serve to illumine the contents of a volume, I choose, not words, but human figures to illustrate this little book intended to enter families where children are growing up. I therefore recall here, as an eloquent symbol, Helen Keller and Mrs. Anne Sullivan Macy, who are, by their example, both teachers to myself––and, before the world, living documents of the miracle in education. In fact, Helen Keller is a marvelous example of the phenomenon common to all human beings: the possibility of the liberation of the imprisoned spirit of man by the education of the senses. Here lies the basis of the method of education of which the book gives a succinct idea. If one only of the senses sufficed to make of Helen Keller a woman of exceptional culture and a writer, who better than she proves the potency of that method of education which builds on the senses? If Helen Keller attained through exquisite natural gifts to an elevated conception viii of the world, who better than she proves that in the inmost self of man lies the spirit ready to reveal itself? Helen, clasp to your heart these little children, since they, above all others, will understand you. They are your younger brothers: when, with bandaged eyes and in silence, they touch with their little hands, profound impressions rise in their consciousness, and they exclaim with a new form of happiness: “I see with my hands.” They alone, then, can fully understand the drama of the mysterious privilege your soul has known. When, in darkness and in silence, their spirit left free to expand, their intellectual energy redoubled, they become able to read and write without having learnt, almost as it were by intuition, they, only they, can understand in part the ecstasy which God granted you on the luminous path of learning. Maria Montessori. CONTENTS PAGE Preface vii Introductory Remarks 1 A “Children’s House” 9 The Method 17 Didactic Material for the Education of the Senses 18 Didactic Material for the Preparation for Writing and Arithmetic 19 Motor Education 18 Sensory Education 29 Language and Knowledge of the World 69 Freedom 77 Writing 80 Exercises for the Management of the Instrument of Writing 86 Exercises for the Writing of Alphabetical Signs 92 The Reading of Music 98 Arithmetic 102 Moral Factors 114 ILLUSTRATIONS Dr. Maria Montessori Frontispiece FIG. PAGE 1. Cupboard with Apparatus 12 2. The Montessori Pædometer 13 3. Frames for Lacing and Buttoning 22 4. Child Buttoning On Frame 23 5. Cylinders Decreasing in Diameter only 30 6. Cylinders Decreasing in Diameter and Height 30 7. Cylinders Decreasing in Height only 30 8. Child using Case of Cylinders 31 9. The Tower 31 10. Child Playing with Tower 31 11. The Broad Stair 36 12. The Long Stair 36 13. Board with Rough and Smooth Surfaces 37 14. Board with Gummed Strips of Paper 37 15. Wood Tablets Differing in Weight 37 Color Spools 42 16. Cabinet with Drawers to hold Geometrical Insets 44 17. Set of Six Circles 44 18. Set of Six Rectangles 45 19. Set of Six Triangles 45 20. Set of Six Polygons 46 21. Set of Six Irregular Figures 46 22. Set of Four Blanks and Two Irregular Figures 47 23. Frame to hold Geometrical Insets 48 24. Child Touching the Insets 49 25. Series of Cards with Geometrical Forms 54 26. Sound Boxes 55 27. Musical Bells 60 28. Sloping Boards to Display Set of Metal Insets 90 29. Single Sandpaper Letter 90 30. Groups of Sandpaper Letters 91 31. Box of Movable Letters 94 32. The Musical Staff 98 33. Didactic Material for Musical Reading 100 34. Didactic Material for Musical Reading 100 35. Didactic Material for Musical Reading 100 36. Didactic Material for Musical Reading 101 37. Didactic Material for Musical Reading 101 38. Didactic Material for Musical Reading 101 39. Dumb Keyboard 102 40. Diagram Illustrating Use of Numerical Rods 107 41. Counting Boxes 110 42.