Produced by Alicia Williams, David T. Jones and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.) _THE ADVANCED MONTESSORI METHOD_ SPONTANEOUS ACTIVITY IN EDUCATION BY MARIA MONTESSORI AUTHOR OF "THE MONTESSORI METHOD," "PEDAGOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY," ETC. TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN BY FLORENCE SIMMONDS [Illustration: company logo] NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS _Copyright, 1917, by_ FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY _All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages_. Printed in the U.S.A. CONTENTS CHAPTER I A SURVEY OF THE CHILD'S LIFE Laws of the child's psychical life paralleled by those of its physical. Current objections to a system of education based upon "liberty" Hygiene has freed the infant from straps and swaddling clothes and left it free to develop Education must leave the soul free to develop Principle of liberty in education not a principle of abandonment The liberty accorded the child of to-day is purely physical. Civil rights of the child in the twentieth century. Removal of perils of disease a step toward physical liberation Supplying the child's physical needs is not sufficient Child's social rights overlooked in the administration of orphan asylums Poor child's health and property confiscated in the custom of wet nursing We recognize justice only for those who can defend themselves How we receive the infants that come into the world. Home has no furnishings adapted to their small size Society prepares a mockery for their reception in the shape of useless toys Child not allowed to act for himself Constant interruption of his activities prevents psychical growth Bodily health suffers from spiritual neglect With man the life of the body depends on the life of the spirit. Reflex action of the emotions on the body functions Child's body requires joy as much as food and air CHAPTER II A SURVEY OF MODERN EDUCATION The precepts which govern moral education and instruction. Child expected to acquire virtues by imitation, instead of development Domination of the child's will the basis of education It is the teacher who forms the child's mind. How he teaches. Teacher's path beset with difficulties under the present system Advanced experts prepare the schemata of instruction Some outlines of "model lessons" used in the schools Comparison of a "model lesson" for sense development with the Montessori method Experimental psychology, not speculative psychology, the basis of Montessori teaching False conceptions of the "art of the teacher" illustrated by model lessons Positive science makes its appearance in the schools Discoveries of medicine: distortions and diseases Science has not fulfilled its mission in its dealings with children.