On Practical Education Author:Maria Edgeworth Here is a book written almost 200 years ago that was far ahead of its time. Maria Edgeworth (1867 - 1849) was an Irish novelist. Maria managed her father's large estate and later drew on this knowledge in her novels. Maria's stories had a moral purpose. The stories often pointed out the responsibility of the upper class toward their tenants.... more » Practical Education was a collaborative effort between Maria and her father Richard Lowell Edgeworth. Richard Edgeworth was a remarkable Irish inventor. His book on Practical Education was far ahead of its time. The French-Swiss moralist Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Edgeworth's second wife inspired the book. Edgeworth believed that children should not learn by rote. He felt they should learn at their own pace. He argued that children needed a strong motive to learn. He believed in giving children toys that would stimulate them so they could learn through play.« less