Independent work Theme: Great pedagogue

In fact, he was largely influenced by the thought of these two; and his importance is largely due to the fact that he first applied or attempted to apply in a systematic manner the principles of thought and of investigation, newly formulated by those philosophers, to the organization of education in all its aspects. The summary of this attempt is given in the Didactica Magna, completed about 1631, though not published until several years later

The third aspect of his educational influence was that on the subject matter and method of education, exerted through a series of textbooks of an entirely new nature. The first-published of these was the janua linguarum reserata (the gate of tongues unlocked), issued in 1631. This was followed later by a more elementary text, the vestibulum, and a more advanced one, the atrium, and other texts. In 1658 the orbis pictus was published, probably the most renowned and most widely circulated of school textbooks. It was also the first successful application of illustrations to the work of teaching, though not, as often stated, the first illustrated book for children.

The third aspect of his educational influence was that on the subject matter and method of education, exerted through a series of textbooks of an entirely new nature. The first-published of these was the janua linguarum reserata (the gate of tongues unlocked), issued in 1631. This was followed later by a more elementary text, the vestibulum, and a more advanced one, the atrium, and other texts. In 1658 the orbis pictus was published, probably the most renowned and most widely circulated of school textbooks. It was also the first successful application of illustrations to the work of teaching, though not, as often stated, the first illustrated book for children.

These texts were all based on the same fundamental ideas: learning foreign languages through the vernacular; obtaining ideas through objects rather than words; starting with objects most familiar to the child to introduce him to both the new language and the more remote world of objects; giving the child a comprehensive knowledge of his environment, physical and social, as well as instruction in religious, moral, and classical subjects; making this acquisition of a compendium of knowledge a pleasure rather than a task; and making instruction universal.