The Infant System For Developing the Intellectual and Moral Powers of all Children, from One to Seven years of Age

"The Infant System" by Samuel Wilderspin is a guide to childhood learning in the 1800s. The book presents a groundbreaking method to grow the minds and good behavior of kids between one and seven years old, using what the author learned from working with children in schools throughout the UK. Wilderspin makes the case that teaching children early is very important, pushing for a system that grows imagination and goodness, all while trying to fix problems in society like kids behaving badly. At the beginning, Wilderspin thinks back to his own childhood and the things that made him want to create the Infant System. He tells stories about how he was raised, like the first things his parents taught him and how unhappy he was in regular schools. Wilderspin talks about how young children grow emotionally and mentally, saying that it's important to have a place that helps and excites them, while also pointing out what's wrong with how children were taught at the time. He shares his idea for a way of teaching that uses play, lessons about right and wrong, and experiences that use the senses, which sets the stage for a full plan that he explains in the rest of the book.