The Spirit of the Child

by David Hay (Author), RebeccaNye (Author)

• New

  Paperback
  2006

  $23.78

  Spirituality is increasingly acknowledged to be an essential part of child development. David Hay argues for the inclusion of spiritual awareness as a cross-curricular element in the school syllabus to promote the development of morality and social cohesion.

  While culturally constructed pressures and the decline in institutional religion have led to the suppression of spiritual expression, children are, the author maintains, capable of profound and meaningful beliefs from an early age. A three-year research study into young children's spirituality and its survival value informs Hay's view that spirituality in education needs to overcome traditional approaches and should adopt a theory of spirituality that includes religion but is not confined to it.

  This stimulating book will encourage educators, parents and others involved in teaching children to consider new approaches to foster children's natural spiritual development.

• Used

  Paperback
  1998

  $3.82

  The search for faith and belief grows, yet institutional religion is declining. The world into which children are inducted is often destructive to spirituality. Yet children emerge from infancy with a simplicity that is open to all experience. How can this be and what does such a phenomena tell us about the mind of the child and the nature of belief? Dr Hay looks at research done over many years which shows that children are capable of having deep and meaningful beliefs even at very young ages.