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Chapter II: Preface

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The following essays have appeared in the _Parents’ Review_, and were addressed, from time to time, to a body of parents who are making a practical study of the principles of education--the “Parents’ National Educational Union.” The present volume is a sequel to _Home Education_ (Kegan Paul & Co.), a work which was the means of originating this Union of Parents. It is not too much to say that the Parents’ Union exists to advance, with more or less method and with more or less steadfastness, a definite school of educational thought of which the two main principles are--the recognition of the physical basis of habit, _i.e._ of the material side of education; and of the inspiring and formative power of the Idea, _i.e._ of the immaterial, or spiritual, side of education. These two guiding principles, covering as they do the whole field of human nature, should enable us to deal rationally with all the complex problems of education; and the object of the following essays is, not to give an exhaustive application of these principles--the British Museum itself would hardly contain all the volumes needful for such an undertaking--but to give an example or a suggestion, here and there, as to how such and such an habit may be formed, such and such a formative idea be implanted and fostered. The intention of the volume will account to the reader for what may seem a want of connected and exhaustive treatment of the subject, and for the iteration of the same principles in various connections. The author ventures to hope that the following hints and suggestions will not prove the less practically useful to busy parents, because they rest on profound educational principles.

CONTENTS

BOOK I

_THEORY_

CHAPTER I
PAGE
THE FAMILY 3

CHAPTER II

PARENTS AS RULERS 12

CHAPTER III

PARENTS AS INSPIRERS (PART I) 20

CHAPTER IV

PARENTS AS INSPIRERS (PART II) 29

CHAPTER V

PARENTS AS INSPIRERS (PART III) 39

CHAPTER VI

PARENTS AS INSPIRERS (PART IV) 48

CHAPTER VII

THE PARENT AS SCHOOLMASTER 58

CHAPTER VIII

THE CULTURE OF CHARACTER (PART I) 66

CHAPTER IX

THE CULTURE OF CHARACTER (PART II) 79

CHAPTER X

BIBLE LESSONS 88

CHAPTER XI

FAITH AND DUTY (PART I) 96

CHAPTER XII

FAITH AND DUTY (PART II) 111

CHAPTER XIII

FAITH AND DUTY (PART III) 122

CHAPTER XIV

THE HEROIC IMPULSE 134

CHAPTER XV

IS IT POSSIBLE? 143

CHAPTER XVI

DISCIPLINE 160

CHAPTER XVII

SENSATIONS AND FEELINGS (PART I) 169

CHAPTER XVIII

SENSATIONS AND FEELINGS (PART II) 181

CHAPTER XIX

“WHAT IS TRUTH?” 192

CHAPTER XX

SHOW CAUSE WHY 201

CHAPTER XXI

HERBARTIAN PEDAGOGICS 211

CHAPTER XXII

THE TEACHING OF THE “PARENTS’ NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL
UNION” (PART I) 220

CHAPTER XXIII

THE TEACHING OF THE “PARENTS’ NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL
UNION” (PART II) 228

CHAPTER XXIV

WHENCE AND WHITHER (PART I) 242

CHAPTER XXV

WHENCE AND WHITHER (PART II) 250

CHAPTER XXVI

THE GREAT RECOGNITION 260

CHAPTER XXVII

THE ETERNAL CHILD 271

BOOK II

_ESSAYS IN PRACTICAL EDUCATION_

CHAPTER I

THE PHILOSOPHER AT HOME 283

CHAPTER II

“ATTENTION” 303

CHAPTER III

AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIMENT 312

CHAPTER IV

DOROTHY ELMORE’S ACHIEVEMENT: A FORECAST 320

CHAPTER V

CONSEQUENCES 346

CHAPTER VI

MRS. SEDLEY’S TALE 355

CHAPTER VII

ABILITY 367

CHAPTER VIII

POOR MRS. JUMEAU! 376

CHAPTER IX

“A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!” 386

CHAPTER X

PARENTS IN COUNCIL (PART I) 395

CHAPTER XI

PARENTS IN COUNCIL (PART II) 405

CHAPTER XII

A HUNDRED YEARS AFTER 413

NOTE 429

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