samiamstew's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.25
Very dense but references many studies which I appreciate and I was missing from Stuart Brown’s book on play. Lots of information about types of play and benefits. Could make some great handouts from this! It would be a good physical book reference.
awishman's review against another edition
5.0
This book should be mandatory reading for anyone who comes into contact with children.
tatyr's review against another edition
5.0
Even though I don't agree with every premise of the author and don't always come to the same conclusions as he does, this is still an excellent book. It if full or facts, research and advice every parent needs to know.
gingermama4's review against another edition
5.0
Must read for all parents!
I absolutely love this book and think that all parents should read when they have children! It goes into detail about all my natural instincts for learning and teaching my children were already telling me.
I absolutely love this book and think that all parents should read when they have children! It goes into detail about all my natural instincts for learning and teaching my children were already telling me.
mrsleighmath's review against another edition
2.0
A lot to mull here, but a lot the i don't see the same way the author does. Perspectives are good to examine.
thatpatti's review against another edition
5.0
Torn between 4/5. It's pretty anti-school, which I think is unfortunate because his message is an important one for parents of ALL children and I'd hate for someone to miss the message entirely because they felt criticized for sending their kids to school.
Personally, this book was a parenting game-changer.
Personally, this book was a parenting game-changer.
saif27's review against another edition
5.0
This is certainly an amazing read that I would recommend to everyone, not just parents or people interested in pedagogy or education. This book is not about unschooling or alternative education, although it does touch on these topics. This is a psychology book that comprehensively explains the role of play in learning and how humans evolved to learn. From the perspective of hunter gatherers to the Sudbury School model, Peter Gray explains why we need to rethink education and parenting. The idea is that the helplessness, immaturity and lack of confidence that haunt many of us can be attributed to the lack of trust in us as children by traditional schools and overprotective parents. Sheltering children from the real world due to concerns about safety or responsibility perpetuates the idea that the kid can't be trusted to act independently and intelligently. This acts as a self-fulfilling prophecy that affects the kid's development and mental health. Thus, this book offers criticism of traditional schooling and offers a natural alternative that goes back to our ancestral and evolutionary roots. While also remaining relevant for anyone for its help in identifying the source of some of the mental health issues and psychological problems that resulted from our childhoods.
_haylie's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVE this book! I’ve already recommended it to several others. It completely changed my view on school (I’m a teacher & tutor) and now I’m strongly considering unschooling my two children. SUCH a good book.
jaraka's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating book on play and learning! Peter Grey is an unschooling advocate so some parts of the book are very anti-school, but I found the research on and application of play psychology, multi-age play, outdoor play, play as learning, and unsupervised play so empowering and inspiring as a parent and homeschooling family.