ABSTRACT
Pestalozzi is an educational thinker who will always merit study because he emphasized those aspects of education which must always be emphasized. He acknowledged the essential, but neglected, place of education in society; he recognized the humanity of the child; and he stressed that every aspect of a child's life contributed to the formation of his personality. The child lived in his own conceptual and emotional world, and in order to be able to guide him, this world had to be the subject of infinite, painstaking study. It could never be fully understood, but the more that was uncovered about a child's development, the more effectively could teaching methods encourage the natural processes of growth. Pestalozzi' s clear vision of the ultimate goals of education, combined with his flexibility of approach, make him an educational thinker who deserves to be read. The energy and directness of his style make him worth reading.
