How Children Learn (Classics in Child Development)

I picked up this book from Amazon because I am planning on homeschooling my children.Without going any further in my review, I want it to be known that this book has revolutionized my thinking on children and education. I always had a strong negative reaction to what's known as "the dicovery method," even as we were constantly presented with it in required classes for my education minor. My mind was truly opened as he explained case after case of how children really benefit, and in fact NEED, time to "mess about," as he is fond of calling it. Another thing that really struck me was how he explained the process of learning. Children are constantly in a state of testing what they know, but this process isn't necessarily linear. They are in a sort of state of uncertainty at almost all times. It takes a lot of testing to really know something, but once they know it, they know it. Forcing it into them by rote (or when they aren't interested in it or have not discovered it for themselves) is counterproductive.One of the things that I loved about this book is that it had lots of real-world examples of parents and educators putting this into practice, and then Mr. Holt would comment on these examples.I am very much more eager to learn as much as I can about "unschooling" now than I ever was. This book I will credit in years to come with changing my mind about "unschooling" (even though that term is not really used). This approach is different than anything I have seen (or maybe it has just given me a new perspective.) I could go on and on about the things I learned from this book.There were so many things in this book that I was inspired to do. In particular, he talks a lot about children writing on their own. They may just make scribbles, but to them they are writing something important. This is better than forcing them to write something in a certain way perfectly. They are exploring and learning. (It is ok for them to "mess about".) So today is my youngest daughter's birthday, and I asked my oldest daughter to write a card for her sister. She knows how to write some letters, but she mostly wrote lines of scribbles. But she pointed out that the piece of paper I gave her was too small to be a card, so I folded it like a greeting card. Then when she was finished, she wanted to "mail" it to her sister. I got an envelope and I asked her to write her sister's name. (I told her how to spell it, and she got most of the letters correct - writing the "e" backwards.) Then she wanted to "stamp" it, so I got her a square shaped sticker. She seemed to know approximately where to put it. She put it in the top right hand corner, but I was actually surprised. Then she had to put it in the "mailbox." She didn't ask to take it outside to the real mailbox, so we hunted for a spot around the house. I put it on the counter under my computer, and she said, "She won't be able to reach that." Then I moved it to a low shelf. She called her sister over, telling her she had mail. Then she "read" the note to her sister. Very little of this process was directed by me. I was so thrilled by this since it is so similar to stories throughout the book.If John Holt were alive, I would fangirl out and attend any lecture, book signing, or appearance of his. I have several more of his books, and I have bumped them up on my TBR list.I would highly recommend this book to anyone - parent, educator, HUMAN - who wants to understand children and learning better.

John Holt doesn't just write about the shortcoming of school among impoverished children. Through his experiences as a teacher in a prestigious school, teaching children of the well-heeled, he amasses plenty of examples of how even the "best" schools fall short of meeting every child's natural love of learning. If many regard this book as a classic, it is perhaps because it is one of the first to effectively cut through the haze of studies, programs, theories and other abstractions to focus on the Child, who is after all, a Person; unique and whole. He implores us to see, to listen, to truly get to know that little person in our care.The most thoughtful educators recognize that children are all different, one from the other; that to enumerate a set of conditions, materials, and activities defeats the purpose of celebrating and respecting each child as their own person. So you'll not find detailed lists of "dos" and "don'ts." He asks instead for an open mind; a mind alert to the changing needs and the boundless curiosity of the child. The point is not to stifle, not to suppress, but to foster the child's love of learning by recognizing when it is best to get out of the way.On the whole, "How Children Learn" is an excellent book that reflects upon one aspect of what should constitute a healthy approach toward education and a child's well-being. Whether one homeschools or sends their children to school, the family life more than life outside it (at school or elsewhere) plays a larger part in raising and shaping a child than most people might realize. This, of course, is beyond the scope of the book, but should be part of one's reading. One place to start is Susan Macaulay's "For the Children's Sake."

John Holt's classic has been around and pertinent for many many years ..... This is one of my foundational books that was a guide for me as a teacher of 28 years. Holt's classic HOW CHILDREN FAIL is equally as compelling and eye opening a classic. I was fortunate enough to study with an academic Child Developmental Professor who considered his work revolutionary over 20 years ago. As I developed my own teaching style and continued broadening and challenging the newest and greatest flavor of teaching over my career.... The concepts and the methods in this book and its sister book remainded the cornerstone of my own professional success...HOW CHILDREN LEARN AND HOW CHILDREN FAIL should be a gift to every teacher upon hiring. It is a timeless gift to all parents and teachers.

For many years I wondered why kids are so hard to teach. Why can't they reason like adults do? Only recently, I've learned that kids are not "little adults". Their brains and desires are different. This book was originally published in 1962. Mr. Holt's wisdom and insight has been available since then. Too bad that few people paid attention to him. Children can only learn. Who "taught" you to walk? An interesting quote from one of Holt's colleagues, "If we taught children to speak, they'd never learn." Children will learn what they need to learn, but in their own time, and on their own terms. If they prefer to play, let them play. This was the policy of Alexander Neill in his Summerhill school in England. We must let kids be kids. What is the hurry to run them through an assembly-line schooling system where their curiosity and creativity are destroyed, and replaced with the timidity of a whipped pup?I have the same endorsement for Holt's other book, "How Children Fail".