Understanding Betsy

Levi and I recently finished reading Understood Betsy, a favorite from my own childhood. I enjoyed it as much, or more, as an adult. That is what I consider a quality of great children's literature!

Understood Betsy was published in 1917, making it more likely (in my opinion, of course) to contain other elements on my personal 'indentifying great children's literature list.' I know I've mentioned these numerous times before: independence, resourcefulness, respect for others, healthy work ethic, strong family relationships, appreciation for the simple things in life and a general thankfulness for the basic necessities of life.

Understood Betsy incorporates all the above, but it also focuses on education by contrasting two very different methods and environments. The author did have specific views on the subject. From the back cover of the book:

'Named by Eleanor Roosevelt as one of America's ten most influential women, Dorothy Canfield Fisher (1879-1958) brought the Montessori Method of child rearing to America...'

I'll offer a quote to whet your appetite:

pg. 64

'What's the matter?' asked the teacher, seeing her bewildered face.

'Why--why,' said Elizabeth Ann, 'I don't know what I am at all. If I'm second-grade arithmetic and seventh-grade reading and third-grade spelling, what grade am I?'

The teacher laughed. 'You aren't any grade at all, no matter where you are in school. You're just yourself, aren't you? What difference does it make what grade you're in? And what's the use of your reading little baby things too easy for you just because you don't know your multiplication table?'

'Well, for goodness' sakes!' ejaculated Elizabeth Ann, feeling very much as though somebody had stood her suddenly on her head.

'What's the matter?' asked the teacher again.

This time Elizabeth Ann didn't answer, because she herself didn't know what the matter was. But I do, and I'll tell you. The matter was that never before had she known what she was doing in school. She had always thought she was there to pass from one grade to another, and she was ever so startled to get a glimpse of the fact that she was there to learn how to read and write and cipher and generally use her mind, so she could take care of herself when she came to be grown up, but in that moment, she had her first dim notion of it, and it made her feel the way you do when you're learning to skate and somebody pulls away the chair you've been leaning on and says, 'Now, go it alone!'

Reading this book made me interested in adding a few Montessori method books to my reading stack. Hopefully I'll be able to review these in the coming months:

Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Pre-School Years

Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius

Any other book recommendations on the Montessori educational method?