Educating, Chapter 1

Notes for Chapter 1 (see page images at the Internet Archive)

p. 5 "poetry, as the language of childhood, should be the foundation of the work"

This belief was the norm in American pedagogical writings at the time, but began to disappear as the 20th century progressed, and oral reading was replaced by "silent reading" and multiple-choice comprehension tests.  Passages for silent reading were chosen for their simpler language and their ability to hold the children's attention without the teacher's involvement.  They were usually prose, and informational texts were popular.  The goal was to develop speed and efficiency in "getting the thoughts" from the passage.  See e.g. Silent Reading:  A Handbook for Teachers, by Charles and Edith Germane, 1922.

p. 7 "with the help of such a book as the Montessori System"

Possibly The Montessori System in Theory and Practice (1912), by Dr. Theodate L. Smith.   Books on applying Montessori's principles in the home were also starting to appear around this time, including Dorothy Canfield Fisher's A Montessori Mother (1912).