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Montessori USA History Part 3- The Educational Establishment Bites Back

In Previous parts we wrote: The genesis of the Montessori movement in the USA can be traced to five pertinent developments: Americans visiting Montessori schools in Rome (some training with her), the publication of Montessori’s books in the US, the first journalistic articles on the Montessori phenomenon appearing in the US, the support of famous individuals, and Montessori’s visits to and tours across the US. PROFESSOR KILPATRICK, THE MONTESSORI KILLJOY  The crescendo of Montessori exuberance in the USA would not go unattested. Vested interests in the newly found status quo in the milieu of progressive educational theory reacted to defend their turf, with great initial (but superficial) success. Leading the onslaught was Professor Kilpatrick of the Columbia University Teachers College. It is interesting to note that at the time progressive theories of education dominated the university teacher training programs and that the heaviest attack on Montessori had come from such progressives. Kilpatrick felt that he was defending the views of mainly John Dewey,  who was recognized as the foremost educational theorist in the US at the time. Interestingly, Kilpatrick had visited Montessori’s school in Rome and had an interview with her. For elaborate treatments of the Kilpatrick critique, please consult the sources listed below. Here we will make some passing remarks.

Kilpatrick’s main criticisms can be listed as follows: Many of her techniques and theories were outdated He was dismissive of teaching children reading and writing before the age of six. Her academic expectations for infants and toddlers were unrealistically high Her view of inner development caused her to neglect the importance of education as a series of transactions between the child and the environment, important for intelligent adaptations Not providing or specifically encouraging group work, the Montessori method was neglecting the development of social intelligence and problem-solving skills The Montessori materials were too narrow and limited, and removed from the child’s social needs Children’s creativity and imagination were not sufficiently stimulated The activities of practical life were useful, but not in the way they  were conceived by Montessori He rejected sensory education as useless This negative critique had the effect of smashing the Montessori movement in the US, and insulating the formal teacher training establishment from Montessori’s influence. His critique consolidated the dominance of the views of John Dewey, himself, and other educational progressives , and they could breathe more easily for a few decades. William Heard Kilpatrick

THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING IS ALWAYS IN THE EATING After progressives holding sway over the education system for decades, what has been the results on the ground? Has Professor Killjoy been vindicated? To answer our rhetorical question, we quote and summarize extensively from Lillard(1972): “...America was a disenchanted land educationally in the late 1950s." The results of the education system were alarmingly poor.  After 12 years of schooling, a ‘significant’ number of students could not read beyond the most rudimentary level. School dropout rates were very high. High functioning students were stultified because they were forced to ‘play the game’. It was the time when Sputnik soared across the American skies, heading for space to rocket the US’s great nemesis, the Soviet Union, into space history. Americans were aghast, how did they fall behind? One of the areas that were brought into sharp focus, was the education system  - what kind of students have 'we' been producing?  Since the 1940s, new discoveries in the laboratories of psychologists and physiologists led to a great rethinking of psychological and educational theories. “...these discoveries began to substantiate, one after the other, the very Montessori theories and practices that had been so dissonant with previously accepted educational and psychological theories.” Lillard goes into extensive details about how the developments in psychology, educational theory and science have been vindicating the Montessori method from various directions. By the mid-fifties, progressive education was on the decline in the US (Gutek). Professor Killjoy accused Montessori of being behind the times, yet that accusation pointed directly at himself and his tribe. In fact, this discourse shows that Montessori had in fact been far in advance of her time - and we do not hesitate to state that future developments will uncover Montessori truths that are still hidden to science, psychology, and educational theory even today. This is, in fact, a great shame on the world of academia - have they been sleeping? Sadly, this is what they tend to do until someone from outside looking in, shake them by the shoulders; their first reaction is generally to bite, scratch and claw - and they initially get away with it as they are carried by the media and other powers that be - but in the end the truth always wins, whether it takes decades or centuries. It was Montessori herself who stated that the world of science was lagging behind the educational needs of the child.  And the issue we are discussing here, proves that point. The Montessori approach has been vindicated.  Why is this philosophy so strong? The strength of the Montessori method has four unassailable sources that will continue to stand the test of time: Montessori was a brilliant genius in the truest sense of the word. Her excellent mental powers led to the creation of ideas that had profound breadth and depth, and she easily made intellectual and philosophical connections between different fields of study and between the disparate expressions of the world - living and inanimate. The Cosmic Education she expounded, reflected her cosmic intelligence. She made science the foundation of her method. With science on her side, the future would always be hers.   She mastered her terrain by studying and researching widely, being critical of most prevailing ideas. Most of her important ideas grew out of an intellectual struggle against many fields of learning and their leading exponents. The crux of her method was the scientific observation of the child and making such observation a hallmark of the role of her teachers.  Despite the critique of Professor Killjoy having been left behind in the doldrums of history by scientific research, parental ‘stubbornness’, and the excellent results of genuine Montessori schools, his critique played a vital role in educational history in general, and in the history of the Montessori movement in particular. He defended what he stood for and thereby allowed for the crystallization of ideas that could be tested over time. This was a challenge to the Montessori movement, once answered, it strengthened it theoretically. What Kilpatrick can be blamed for, was closing his mind to new knowledge and for the smug hubris, he displayed throughout this discourse.

Montessori doing her thing in front of a captive audience LOOK OUT FOR PART 4 - THE INTERREGNUM  SOURCES Montessori A Modern Approach, Paula Polk Lillard, 1972 Montessori Comes to America, Phyllis Povell, 2010 The Montessori Method, New York, 2004, Gerald Lee Gutek Links to Previous Posts of the Montessori  Movement - USA History: Part 1: A Beacon of Hope Part 2: Clamoring for Educational Solutions Free Resources and Information: Fun & Interactive Montessori Quizzes Montessori Books & Lesson Plans Montessori Terminology Latest News Post - Montessori Powers on at Full Throttle Discussion Forum: A platform to discuss everything Montessori related Read the full article

[youmemontessorime-blog]

Montessori USA History Part 3- The Educational Establishment Bites Back

In Previous parts we wrote: The genesis of the Montessori movement in the USA can be traced to five pertinent developments: Americans visiting Montessori schools in Rome (some training with her), the publication of Montessori’s books in the US, the first journalistic articles on the Montessori phenomenon appearing in the US, the support of famous individuals, and Montessori’s visits to and tours across the US. PROFESSOR KILPATRICK, THE MONTESSORI KILLJOY  The crescendo of Montessori exuberance in the USA would not go unattested. Vested interests in the newly found status quo in the milieu of progressive educational theory reacted to defend their turf, with great initial (but superficial) success. Leading the onslaught was Professor Kilpatrick of the Columbia University Teachers College. It is interesting to note that at the time progressive theories of education dominated the university teacher training programs and that the heaviest attack on Montessori had come from such progressives. Kilpatrick felt that he was defending the views of mainly John Dewey,  who was recognized as the foremost educational theorist in the US at the time. Interestingly, Kilpatrick had visited Montessori’s school in Rome and had an interview with her. For elaborate treatments of the Kilpatrick critique, please consult the sources listed below. Here we will make some passing remarks.

Kilpatrick’s main criticisms can be listed as follows: Many of her techniques and theories were outdated He was dismissive of teaching children reading and writing before the age of six. Her academic expectations for infants and toddlers were unrealistically high Her view of inner development caused her to neglect the importance of education as a series of transactions between the child and the environment, important for intelligent adaptations Not providing or specifically encouraging group work, the Montessori method was neglecting the development of social intelligence and problem-solving skills The Montessori materials were too narrow and limited, and removed from the child’s social needs Children’s creativity and imagination were not sufficiently stimulated The activities of practical life were useful, but not in the way they  were conceived by Montessori He rejected sensory education as useless This negative critique had the effect of smashing the Montessori movement in the US, and insulating the formal teacher training establishment from Montessori’s influence. His critique consolidated the dominance of the views of John Dewey, himself, and other educational progressives , and they could breathe more easily for a few decades. William Heard Kilpatrick

THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING IS ALWAYS IN THE EATING After progressives holding sway over the education system for decades, what has been the results on the ground? Has Professor Killjoy been vindicated? To answer our rhetorical question, we quote and summarize extensively from Lillard(1972): “...America was a disenchanted land educationally in the late 1950s." The results of the education system were alarmingly poor.  After 12 years of schooling, a ‘significant’ number of students could not read beyond the most rudimentary level. School dropout rates were very high. High functioning students were stultified because they were forced to ‘play the game’. It was the time when Sputnik soared across the American skies, heading for space to rocket the US’s great nemesis, the Soviet Union, into space history. Americans were aghast, how did they fall behind? One of the areas that were brought into sharp focus, was the education system  - what kind of students have 'we' been producing?  Since the 1940s, new discoveries in the laboratories of psychologists and physiologists led to a great rethinking of psychological and educational theories. “...these discoveries began to substantiate, one after the other, the very Montessori theories and practices that had been so dissonant with previously accepted educational and psychological theories.” Lillard goes into extensive details about how the developments in psychology, educational theory and science have been vindicating the Montessori method from various directions. By the mid-fifties, progressive education was on the decline in the US (Gutek). Professor Killjoy accused Montessori of being behind the times, yet that accusation pointed directly at himself and his tribe. In fact, this discourse shows that Montessori had in fact been far in advance of her time - and we do not hesitate to state that future developments will uncover Montessori truths that are still hidden to science, psychology, and educational theory even today. This is, in fact, a great shame on the world of academia - have they been sleeping? Sadly, this is what they tend to do until someone from outside looking in, shake them by the shoulders; their first reaction is generally to bite, scratch and claw - and they initially get away with it as they are carried by the media and other powers that be - but in the end the truth always wins, whether it takes decades or centuries. It was Montessori herself who stated that the world of science was lagging behind the educational needs of the child.  And the issue we are discussing here, proves that point. The Montessori approach has been vindicated.  Why is this philosophy so strong? The strength of the Montessori method has four unassailable sources that will continue to stand the test of time: Montessori was a brilliant genius in the truest sense of the word. Her excellent mental powers led to the creation of ideas that had profound breadth and depth, and she easily made intellectual and philosophical connections between different fields of study and between the disparate expressions of the world - living and inanimate. The Cosmic Education she expounded, reflected her cosmic intelligence. She made science the foundation of her method. With science on her side, the future would always be hers.   She mastered her terrain by studying and researching widely, being critical of most prevailing ideas. Most of her important ideas grew out of an intellectual struggle against many fields of learning and their leading exponents. The crux of her method was the scientific observation of the child and making such observation a hallmark of the role of her teachers.  Despite the critique of Professor Killjoy having been left behind in the doldrums of history by scientific research, parental ‘stubbornness’, and the excellent results of genuine Montessori schools, his critique played a vital role in educational history in general, and in the history of the Montessori movement in particular. He defended what he stood for and thereby allowed for the crystallization of ideas that could be tested over time. This was a challenge to the Montessori movement, once answered, it strengthened it theoretically. What Kilpatrick can be blamed for, was closing his mind to new knowledge and for the smug hubris, he displayed throughout this discourse.

Montessori doing her thing in front of a captive audience LOOK OUT FOR PART 4 - THE INTERREGNUM  SOURCES Montessori A Modern Approach, Paula Polk Lillard, 1972 Montessori Comes to America, Phyllis Povell, 2010 The Montessori Method, New York, 2004, Gerald Lee Gutek Links to Previous Posts of the Montessori  Movement - USA History: Part 1: A Beacon of Hope Part 2: Clamoring for Educational Solutions Free Resources and Information: Fun & Interactive Montessori Quizzes Montessori Books & Lesson Plans Montessori Terminology Latest News Post - Montessori Powers on at Full Throttle Discussion Forum: A platform to discuss everything Montessori related Read the full article