"Educare arbusculas Dei". The School of Infancy in Comenius' Educational Theory.

It is indisputable that in Comenius’ educational theory the explicit assertion of the central role of infancy is always related to a profundity of thought aimed at overcoming traditional stereotypes in the educational field, and at constructing a new ethical and religious viewpoint for a universal regeneration. This perception of infancy is certainly not unrealistic, nor is it confined to a world of abstract, incomprehensible rules; on the contrary, it implies enormous consequences for teaching and methodology. On a theoretical level, Comenius points to the need to construct an educational standard based upon those values education must propagate in society, while on a practical level the necessity of changing the daily work of schools leads to the writing of revised textbooks in order to communicate with children in a clear language adapted to their cognitive abilities. The idea of working out a definite project for a school for infancy based on criteria of responsibility, simplicity, and gradual progress emerges in Comenius’ educational theory from 1629-1630 onwards; the result was Informatorium skoly materské, written in the Czech language in 1632.