Abstract: In the center of the desire to reform educational methods that dominated the pre-revolutionary period, the Manuel de l’enfance by abbé Sicard, written and published in 1797, stresses out different kinds of dialogues, from catechism to philosophical dialogues. This text shows us how to better understand the use of dialogical texts destined to children and that are widespread published in the second half of the 18th century. The text allows us also to understand the pedagogical intentions and the possible readership.
