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 perfectly what is going on if the reader realizes that the book is designed to advocate for self-teaching and self-learning.

It is also set and written in an earlier time before lawyers and bureaucrats invaded everything with claims that their rules could make us all safer. One must never forget that even if a rule can be demonstrated to improve safety, it is not helpful if increased costs or restrictions caused by the rule offset improvements in safety with losses in other areas. 
Understood Betsy ventures into the realm of allowing a little girl to figure out things on her own that would cause social workers to scream neglect and lawyers to salivate. In fact, it directly attacks the idea of being overprotective and pretending one understands child psychology.  As such, it is a book that should be read by those who would never even consider allowing the things described in the book to happen. 

Children who learn how to learn on their own academically also become more curious and are better self-learners in non-academic fields as well. The reverse is also true. A good environment with opportunities for children to do productive work with minimal supervision is helpful for their academics.

Understood Betsy is nice because it emphasizes learning to do practical things in a rural environment. Farm life is fantastic for children growing up. Children need many things, but educationally there are two broad categories. One is academics; the other is practical hands on work and responsibility. It is not difficult to teach children both simultaneously, and the most effective methods are essentially self-learning.

It is important to remember that education is more than reading and writing. It should involve exposure to a broad array of subjects and learning to think.

Understood Betsy is a wonderful book for both children and adults. 

Noah Robinson, who serves in the Oregon Senate, recently featured Understood Betsy in one of his floor speeches to the Oregon Senate.

271 Pages

Softcover

ISBN: 1-59087-261-4