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aliilman's review against another edition
5.0
An insightful read on John Holt’s observations and learnings on how children learn.
My main takeaway from reading this? Trust the children to learn at their own pace, and respect the effort children put in to learn. Belittling their efforts may very well kill their curiosity and courage to learn something new.
My main takeaway from reading this? Trust the children to learn at their own pace, and respect the effort children put in to learn. Belittling their efforts may very well kill their curiosity and courage to learn something new.
mamasquirrel's review against another edition
4.0
One of the strongest arguments for homeschooling/learning at a individual child's pace that I've ever seen. Holt includes theory on learning literacy, mathematics, science and life skills. A fascinating read.
"The one thing we can be sure of, or surest of, is that children have a passionate desire to understand as much of the world as they can, even what they cannot see and touch, and as far as possible to acquire some kind of skill, competence, and control in it and over it. Now this desire, this need to understand the world and be able to do things in it, the things the big people do, is so strong that we could properly call it biological. It is every bit as strong as the need for food, for warmth, for shelter, for comfort, for sleep, for love. In fact, I think a strong case could be made that it might be stronger than any of these."
"We can best help children to learn, not by deciding what we think they should learn and thinking of ingenious ways to teach it to them, but by making the world, as far as we can, accessible to them, paying serious attention to what they do, answering their questions--if they have any--and helping them explore the things they are most interested in."
"The one thing we can be sure of, or surest of, is that children have a passionate desire to understand as much of the world as they can, even what they cannot see and touch, and as far as possible to acquire some kind of skill, competence, and control in it and over it. Now this desire, this need to understand the world and be able to do things in it, the things the big people do, is so strong that we could properly call it biological. It is every bit as strong as the need for food, for warmth, for shelter, for comfort, for sleep, for love. In fact, I think a strong case could be made that it might be stronger than any of these."
"We can best help children to learn, not by deciding what we think they should learn and thinking of ingenious ways to teach it to them, but by making the world, as far as we can, accessible to them, paying serious attention to what they do, answering their questions--if they have any--and helping them explore the things they are most interested in."
amandabcook's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
chelseadarling's review against another edition
Outdated. Interesting intro to field but obvious repetition of information for anyone with previous knowledge
jemimakirkby's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favourite books. Incredibly insightful, researched and beautiful. If you have kids or are interested in how they develop and learn - READ THIS.
kendrarousseau's review against another edition
4.0
“…man is by nature a learning animal…we do not need to “motivate” children into learning, by wheedling, bribing, or bullying. We do not need to keep picking away at their minds to make sure they are learning. What we need to do, and all we need to do, is bring as much of the world as we can into the school and the classroom; give children as much help and guidance as they need and ask for; listen respectfully when they feel like talking; and the get out of the way. We can trust them to do the rest.”
wesleymiles's review against another edition
5.0
Profound book. Recommended by Austin Kleon. The point that stuck with me most is that people/children learn from tapping into a deep-rooted urge to find meaning. If along the way they need to understand certain things to get more meaning, that learning will be deep and true.
Trust kids to learn. Our school system in general teaches by force because we don't trust kids to do it themselves.
Trust kids to learn. Our school system in general teaches by force because we don't trust kids to do it themselves.
mandarchy's review against another edition
3.0
When I read this I was at the Evergreen State College and I am not a hippie - even though some people think so. This book irritated me a little. It did help me to relax about kids "getting it" and not over teaching to the point where kids are hating it.
thekarpuk's review against another edition
4.0
People as a whole are only as smart as a society is comfortable with.
In prose style "How Children Learn" reminds me a lot of "The Omnivore's Dilemma", in that both present some pretty depressing news with a great deal of compassion and hope. John Holt wrote this in the 60's and revised it in the 80's a few years before his death, and it's alarming how many of his criticisms of education are still applicable decades later. But it never comes off as polemic or divisive, just concerned for the minds of children and the adults they become.
His overarching conclusion is that children don't need us to learn most of the time. Presented with an interesting problem, a little kid wants to solve it. The issue is adult meddling and often good-hearted attempts to help kill this impulse. Past a certain age kids give up on trying to learn anything that isn't necessary to succeed.
The logic behind school is that it's supposed to turn people in to well-rounded, intelligent human beings. The trouble with that is that no one agrees on what it takes to be well-rounded. Most of us aren't and never will be. Most cultures with public education aren't overrun with renaissance men. People specialize, it's part of what civilizations are built on, so much of what's learned in school is water off a duck's back.
What he says early on and pushes through the whole book is to trust kids. Lack of trust can erode entire civilizations, and in kids it corrupts their ability to work things out themselves. The problem he even acknowledges is that giving kids the respect and trust to figure out problems on their own is intensely frightening at times.
Apparently being a parent who raises a bright, self-motivated, intelligent kid is a combination of being really easy and incredibly terrifying. Oh well, it's scary regardless.
In prose style "How Children Learn" reminds me a lot of "The Omnivore's Dilemma", in that both present some pretty depressing news with a great deal of compassion and hope. John Holt wrote this in the 60's and revised it in the 80's a few years before his death, and it's alarming how many of his criticisms of education are still applicable decades later. But it never comes off as polemic or divisive, just concerned for the minds of children and the adults they become.
His overarching conclusion is that children don't need us to learn most of the time. Presented with an interesting problem, a little kid wants to solve it. The issue is adult meddling and often good-hearted attempts to help kill this impulse. Past a certain age kids give up on trying to learn anything that isn't necessary to succeed.
The logic behind school is that it's supposed to turn people in to well-rounded, intelligent human beings. The trouble with that is that no one agrees on what it takes to be well-rounded. Most of us aren't and never will be. Most cultures with public education aren't overrun with renaissance men. People specialize, it's part of what civilizations are built on, so much of what's learned in school is water off a duck's back.
What he says early on and pushes through the whole book is to trust kids. Lack of trust can erode entire civilizations, and in kids it corrupts their ability to work things out themselves. The problem he even acknowledges is that giving kids the respect and trust to figure out problems on their own is intensely frightening at times.
Apparently being a parent who raises a bright, self-motivated, intelligent kid is a combination of being really easy and incredibly terrifying. Oh well, it's scary regardless.