It is true that we cannot make a genius. We can only give to teach child the chance to fulfil his potential possibilities.

It follows that at the beginning of his life the individual can accomplish wonders without effort and quite unconsciously.

The environment itself will teach the child, if every error he makes is manifest to him, without the intervention of a parent of teacher, who should remain a quiet observer of all that happens.

What is a scientist?... We give the name scientist to the type of man who has felt experiment to be a means guiding him to search out the deep truth of life, to lift a veil from its fascinating secrets, and who, in this pursuit, has felt arising within him a love for the mysteries of nature, so passionate as to annihilate the thought of himself.

The first aim of the prepared environment is, as far as it is possible, to render the growing child independent of the adult.

Except when he has regressive tendencies, the child's nature is to aim directly and energetically at functional independence.

We must clearly understand that when we give the child freedom and independence, we are giving freedom to a worker already braced for action, who cannot live without working and being active.