In nature nothing creates itself and nothing destroys itself.
Children must grow not only in the body but in the spirit, and the mother longs to follow the mysterious spiritual journey of the beloved one who to-morrow will be the intelligent, divine creation, man.
The more perfect the approximation to truth, the more perfect is art.
The child is essentially alien to this society of men and might express his position in the words of the Gospel: My kingdom is not of this world.
Mental development must be connected with movement and be dependent on it. It is vital that educational theory and practice should be informed by that idea.
The child has other powers than ours, and the creation he achieves is no small one; it is everything.
Independence is not a static condition; it is a continuous conquest, and in order to reach not only freedom, but also strength, and the perfecting on one’s powers, it is necessary to follow this path of unremitting toil.
Except when he has regressive tendencies, the child’s nature is to aim directly and energetically at functional independence.
Discipline must come through liberty.
Concentration is the key that opens up to the child the latent treasures within him.
The child seeks for independence by means of work; an independence of body and mind.
The child who concentrates is immensely happy.
Social grace, inner discipline and joy. These are the birthright of the human being who has been allowed to develop essential human qualities.
Sometimes very small children in a proper environment develop a skill and exactness in their work that can only surprise us.
The child is endowed with unknown powers, which can guide us to a radiant future. If what we really want is a new world, then education must take as its aim the development of these hidden possibilities.
For what is the use of transmitting knowledge if the individual’s total development lags behind?
A great deal of time and intellectual force are lost in the world, because the false seems great and the truth so small and insignificant.
The objects in our system are instead a help to the child himself, he chooses what he wants for his own use, and works with it according to his own needs, tendencies and special interests. In this way, the objects become a means of growth.
Education, as conceived today, is something separated both from biological and social life.
The work of education is divided between the teacher and the environment.