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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the snail nicknamed?

2. What was Helen Keller's first word?

3. What is a "pa"?

4. Which student stumbled on the words "Come," "look," and "and"?

5. What were the two main instincts around which the key vocabulary was built?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Workbook," what did Ashton-Warner mean when she said that one cannot plot life?

2. Why was the class so noisy while the children studied their individual key words and what did that noise signify?

3. How did the children's writings differ from the standard readers offered in most schools?

4. In what way does nature provide lessons that books or indoor plantings cannot?

5. How did the students perform when they did expressive dancing versus when they learned specific moves?

6. Why did Ashton-Warner find the European and American early readers two-dimensional?

7. Why did Ashton-Warner believe that standardized reading texts were damaging to children?

8. Into what two main categories did Ashton-Warner place many of her students' first words?

9. What was Ashton-Warner's reaction to the sometimes violent imagery used in the children's stories?

10. What was the role of handwriting in the Maori students' stories?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The great Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy, developed and operated a school for peasant children that Ashton-Warner expressed admiration for. The school day was long and students were given significant freedom to choose what subjects to study and when. Is this school model possible on a larger scale or is it something that can only be done on a small scale, under unique circumstances? What are the benefits of allowing students to go at their own pace and explore the subjects most dear to them? What happens to standardized curricula and school-wide tests in such a situation?

Essay Topic 2

A professor told Ashton-Warner that "tidiness kills education." She so admired the expression that she asked him to repeat it. How was this philosophy reflected in Ashton-Warner's teaching style? What advantages are there to maintaining a sense of chaos and disorder in the classroom? Is learning a neat and tidy activity, or is it naturally messy? How can teachers ensure that maintaining a "neat" classroom does not interfere with students' natural learning patterns?

Essay Topic 3

Ashton-Warner wrote at length about the importance of tone in the classroom. Write an essay exploring how tone is set in the classroom and how several people have a role in setting that tone. Does the tone have to be the same from classroom to classroom or school to school? Or should there be variations based on the unique needs of the teachers and students? How does a teacher determine what tone works best for her students and how does she achieve that tone, especially if it differs from what she would normally like to see?

(see the answer keys)

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