Introduction
Edmond Holmes resigned from the Board of Education in 1911, after his trenchant critique of fellow Elementary school inspectors leaked out. He took the opportunity to visit Maria Montessori’s pioneering schools in Italy, and prepared a paper for the Board (his experience was still highly valued there) in which he urged them to lose no time in adopting her methods.
The master-principle of the Montessori system is that of self-education. She realises that the business of growing must be done by the growing child, and cannot be delegated by him to his teacher or anyone else. And she infers from this that the teacher, instead of doing everything or nearly everything for the child, should do as little as possible, should stand aside, so to speak, and efface herself, giving the child such guidance and stimulus as he may need, and providing him with suitable materials, but leaving him free to exercise his own faculties, and relieving him from the pressure of vexatious interference and arbitrary constraint.
In other words, she has broken away from the ‘orthodox’ system of education, in which a dogmatic attitude on the part of the teacher is met by mechanical obedience on the part of the child; and she proposes to substitute for it a regime of freedom for the child, in which his love of rational activity, his desire to do things for himself, his joy in overcoming difficulties, shall be met and ministered to by judicious and sympathetic guidance on the part of his teacher.
Abridged
Précis
In 1911, former Inspector of School Edmond Holmes urged the British Board of Education to take notice of Maria Montessori’s methods. He explained that her teachers fostered self-education, restraining any impulse to set the curriculum or intervene, and trusting instead in the child’s own natural curiosity to motivate and direct his learning. (52 / 60 words)
In 1911, former Inspector of School Edmond Holmes urged the British Board of Education to take notice of Maria Montessori’s methods. He explained that her teachers fostered self-education, restraining any impulse to set the curriculum or intervene, and trusting instead in the child’s own natural curiosity to motivate and direct his learning.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 45 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, because, just, not, ought, until, whereas.
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Word Games
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Instead. Little. Such.
2 Relieve. So. Teacher.
3 Efface. Herself. Speak.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Verb and Noun Find in Think and Speak
Many words can serve as noun or verb depending on context: see if you can prove this with the examples below. Nouns go well with words such as the/a, or his/her; verbs go well after I/you/he etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Break. 2 Pressure. 3 Part. 4 Meet. 5 Leave. 6 Exercise. 7 Desire. 8 Love. 9 Stand.
Variations: 1.if possible, use your noun in the plural, e.g. cat → cats. 2.use your verb in a past form, e.g. go → went. 3.use your noun in a sentence with one of these words: any, enough, fewer, less, no, some.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
stry (5)
astray. estuary. storey. story. stray.
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