September Classic of the Month: The Child and the Curriculum

Just in time for the start of the school year, Cosimo presents our September Classic of the Month, The Child and the Curriculum by John Dewey.

In a time when memorization and recollection were the primary expectations in a child’s education, John Dewey discovered that essential components lacked within the classroom walls – exploration, curiosity, and ultimately, the ability to experience. He found that how children were expected to learn, greatly differed from the innate learning process we are all naturally inclined to follow— that the growth of knowledge is spurred through manipulation of one’s environment and one’s reflection upon it. It is in his words that readers can grapple the conclusion of his thoughts: “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” 

In this fascinating single volume, two of John Dewey’s insightful essays on education in America are presented, which display ground-breaking theory that has provided a foundation to modern education.

About the Author

American educator and philosopher John Dewey (1859–1952) helped found the American Association of University Professors. He served as a professor of philosophy at Columbia University from 1904 to 1930 and authored numerous books, including How We Think (1910),
Reconstruction in Philosophy (1919), and Human Nature and Conduct (1922). 

Cosimo Classics is proud to offer this title in both hardcover and paperback at leading online bookstores including Barnes & Noble (paperback, hardcover) and Amazon (paperback, hardcover).

Classic of the Month: The Child and the Curriculum

Students and teachers recently returned to the classroom for a new school year, and in honor of their return to chalkboards, term papers, and exams, we've chosen John Dewey's The Child and the Curriculum: Including, The School and Society as September's Classic of the Month.

The essays that comprise this collection represent two of Dewey's most groundbreaking works on educational reform in the American school system.

"Abandon the notion of subject-matter as something fixed and ready-made in itself, outside of the child's experience."

A prolific philosopher, educational reformer, and professor, Dewey's essays meld his interests into profound philosophical meditations on the relationships between curriculum and student, teacher and student, as well education and democracy. Dewey believed that students should learn by doing: by interacting with the world and relating the concepts of a given curriculum to their lived experience. The ultimate goal of a teacher, Dewey believed, was not to produce a classroom of students with a shared knowledge set, but to produce a classroom of students who would ultimately realize their personal potentials and positively contribute to society.

A seminal work by one of the most respected educational reformers in American history, The Child and the Curriculum is an absolute Must Read for American educators. It is available for purchase in paperback.