Smith 1985 susan isaacs biography

Susan Isaacs was a British psychologist and educationalist whose work spanned the first half of the twentieth century. She came to education with a background in philosophy and psychology and this influenced much of her work with young children. Smith () writes that ‘she probably did more than anyone else to integrate the increasing theoretical knowledge of child psychology with practical methodology in both education and child rearing practices’ (p).

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Isaacs was known for the accessibility of her work to practitioners and to parents. She wrote for a varied audience, including academic papers, books and columns in parenting journals. Isaacs’ child-centred theories expanded on the work of other educationalists, such as Froebel’s approach to active learning and Dewey’s emphasis on social interaction, making them accessible to those working with children (Pound, ).

Isaacs was born into a large family in Lancashire in Her father was a journalist and a lay preacher in the