Study children with a clear, scientific eye and learn practical ways to observe, describe, and understand them. This book gathers Francis Warner’s lectures into a practical guide for teachers, parents, and school leaders who want to see child development with accuracy and curiosity. These pages present a method you can use in real life: observing nutrition, growth, nerve-system signs, and the kinds of movements and postures that reveal how a child’s brain works. It’s written to help you record what you see, build meaningful descriptions, and use that knowledge to support education and care. The edition reflects the author’s long experience in medical practice and classroom settings, with additions and illustrations to clarify how to study children scientifically.
- How to observe a child without questions, noting signs of nutrition, development, and brain activity.
- Ways to interpret movements, postures, and facial expressions as clues to mental states.
- Guidance on organizing observations for teachers and parents, with practical suggestions for building up child-character.
- Historical context from lectures on education reform and the role of nerve-signs in learning.
Ideal for readers of educational theory and practitioners who want a disciplined, hands-on approach to studying children in schools and everyday life.
Francis Warner has taught at both St. Catharine's College, Cambridge, and St. Peter's College, Oxford. He is now an Honorary Fellow at the former, and an Emeritus Fellow and Dean of Degrees at the latter.