t also the teacher should read books from the library, have the students prepare a report on insects and draw insects. The teacher should also bring in an insect collection and allow students to touch them when it is permissible. Pupils should use the five senses when learning. Marie Montessori wrote learners are to be actively involved, not passive beings, in the curriculum (Ediger, 1996, p.300).
             The essentialist philosophy can still be seen today. The "Old Deluder Satan Act" was implemented in Massachusetts Bay Colony, requiring townships to provide instruction so students might be able to read the Bible. The teaching reflected the "Alphabetic Approach." The alphabet was taught from "A to Zed" and the students were expected to take the knowledge and pronounce words. Think about it for a moment---it doesn't work. Essentialist thought is still alive and well
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