Understood Betsy

Understood Betsy  by Dorothy Canfield (1917) The Robinson Self-Teaching Home School Curriculum is effective because of its emphasis on teaching children to think and learn on their own. The principles of self-teaching are not new; they have been used by teachers and individuals throughout recorded history. The Montessori teaching method has many elements of self-teaching and an emphasis on children figuring things out on their own. One of the strong advocates for the Montessori Method in the early 20th century was Dorothy Canfield Fisher the author of Understood Betsy. The plot of Understood Betsy is both humorous and instructive. It tells the story of a little nine year old girl who is suddenly moved from a sheltered and protected life in the city, to a farm in rural Vermont where she learns to think and act on her own. There are a few things throughout the story that seem a little contrived and idealized (although not enough to be unbelievable or spoil the story). One understands per