The Psychology of the Free Child

By Christabel M. Meredith. (Constable & Co., Ltd., London, 1924. Pp. 212. Price 5 s. net.)

The Bearings of Modern Psychology on Educational Theory and Practice (Constable & Co., Ltd., London, 1924. Pp. 137. Price 3 s. 6 d. net.)

The first comment to be made upon these two books is that they are written throughout as though the author were unaware of the existence of psycho-analysis, its theory and practice, a curious state of affairs in view of the fact that the title of the second book contains the phrase 'The Bearings of Modern Psychology'. It is indeed no small feat to write a book on such a theme without reference to Freud's discoveries, which must, surely, constitute some very large section of 'modern' psychology. Nor is there evidence of knowledge, as far as can be seen, of any other recently set forth view, such as the Gestalt theory, for example. Both books consist of an exposition of present-day popular psychology in reference to the child's upbringing, learning-processes, emotional development, and, like that psychology, are characterized by some quite acceptable ideas (on a superficial level) mingled with a good deal of erroneous statement based on incomplete knowledge.

In The Bearings of Modern Psychology on Educational Theory and Practice, Part I, which deals with Instinct, its nature and modifications, Habits, Sentiments, and Suggestion, is too slight to be of great value to anyone, and much of the section deals with matter which must, by now, be very familiar to teachers and parents (e.g. that the young child will work with ardour and persistency at his own self-chosen pursuits rather than at those imposed upon him by authority; that curiosity is a marked characteristic of the first stages of life; that repetition of an activity is not necessarily mental development), certainly to the former, for whom the book would appear to be written. In Section II, which deals with Experiment in Education, Memory work, Adolescence and its special requirement