『明心寶鑑』이 ‘고려말 조선초 이후 가정과 서당에서 아동들의 기본교재로 널리 쓰였다’(민족문화대백과사전)는 견해는 전문연구서를 비롯한 교양서 등에서 쉽게 확인된다. 그러나 『明心寶鑑』이 아동들의 초학교재로 사용된 구체적인 사례를 확 인하기는 쉽지 않다. 그 실상을 확인하고자 각종 문헌을 조사하였다. 18세기 이전에는 『명심보감』의 보급이 충분하게 이루어지지 않았으며, 특히 초 학자의 교재로 사용된 예는 확인하지 못했다. 다만 일부 자료를 통해 불교와 『명심보감』의 친밀성을 확인할 수 있었다. 1850년 이후에는 일반인들이 『명심보감』 을 생활의 지침으로 삼거나, 어린 아이가 『명심보감』을 읽는 사례, 『명심보감』을 抄했다는 기록이 보인다. 그렇지만 許傳, 李源祚, 曺兢燮 등의 언술과 기타 자료를 종합할 때, 20세기 초 까지 『명심보감』이 아동들의 학습 교재로 사용되었을 가능성은 매우 희박한 것으로 판단된다. 때문에 『명심보감』에 대한 현재의 열기에 대해 그 원인을 성찰할 필요가 있다고 하겠다.

“Myeongsimbogam” is an aspect of the present during Yi Dynasty era. We think about Myeongsimbogam as the following. After a beginner learned the «Cheonjamun», they are following «Dongmongseonseup» and “Myeongsimbogam” for basic process was used widely like a textbook. At the end of the Goryeo era and early Yi Dynasty era, Myeongsimbogam had been used in the home and seodang. Later it was widely used as children’s primary textbook; people read hundreds of years while enjoying our nation's spiritual values, which play an important part in the formation. National culture, including the encyclopedia research book is almost identical. However, little data to support this view is not confirmed. Therefore, I researched the Josun Dynasty’s collections of work and several anthologies of literature by examining the articles associated with Myeongsimbogam. In the 18th century, the old data is part of Myeongsimbogam, which is shown in"(座隅自警语)". There were not enough readers, yet the readers ages were of the elderly. Monks studied Myeongsimbogam and in Ansimsa(安心寺) they published Myeongsimbogam. Buddhism showed a close relationship to Myeongsimbogam. Myeongsimbogam was published a couple of times, but was never very popular or used for children’s text books before the 18th century. After 1850 years reviewing the material, rather than professional scholars, writers and ordinary people read Myeongsimbogam as a guideline for their life, young children read Myeongsimbogamas a textbook. Nevertheless, scholars never really studied Myeongsimbogam. There was no information about scholars studying Myeongsimbogam. Myeongsimbogam may not have been important in our ancestors’ lives. Myeongsimbogam was not much of an important part in the seodang education.