Children are born persons.
Principle 1. Children are born persons. (Vol. 6, page XXIX)
"If we have not proved that a child is born a person with a mind as complete and as beautiful as his beautiful little body, we can at least show that he always has all the mind he requires for his occasions; that is, that his mind is the instrument of his education and that his education does not produce his mind." (Vol. 6, page 36)
"A child is a person in whom all possibilities are present - present now at this very moment - not to be educed after years and efforts manifold on the part of the educator;..." (Vol 2., page 260)
"The person of the child is sacred to us; we do not swamp his individuality in his intelligence, in his conscience, or even in his soul; perhaps one should add to-day, or even in his physical development. The person is all these and more. We safeguard the initiative of the child an we realize that, in educational work, we must take a back seat; the teacher, even when the teacher is the parent, is not to be too much to the front." (Vol. 3, page 65)
"And children have not altered. This is how we find them - with intelligence more acute, logic more keen, observing powers more alert, moral sensibilities more quick, love and faith and hope more abounding; in fact, in all points like as we are, only more so; but absolutely ignorant of the world and its belongings, of us and our ways, and, above all, of how to control and direct and manifest the infinite possibilities with which they are born." (Vol. 3, page 172)
"A child is a person in whom all possibilities are present - present now at this very moment - not to be educed after years and efforts manifold on the part of the educator;..." (Vol 2., page 260)
"The person of the child is sacred to us; we do not swamp his individuality in his intelligence, in his conscience, or even in his soul; perhaps one should add to-day, or even in his physical development. The person is all these and more. We safeguard the initiative of the child an we realize that, in educational work, we must take a back seat; the teacher, even when the teacher is the parent, is not to be too much to the front." (Vol. 3, page 65)
"And children have not altered. This is how we find them - with intelligence more acute, logic more keen, observing powers more alert, moral sensibilities more quick, love and faith and hope more abounding; in fact, in all points like as we are, only more so; but absolutely ignorant of the world and its belongings, of us and our ways, and, above all, of how to control and direct and manifest the infinite possibilities with which they are born." (Vol. 3, page 172)