Interesting info on how children learn many things without having to be told how. Good for parents, teachers and anyone who works with children. ( )

A good overview of how to approach various subjects in a way that isn't "teaching," but learning. A useful guide for adults who need a basic math refresher, as well! It would have been nice to see what this book would have been had he lived to finish it. ( )

I read and re-read this book when I was in college, and it was instrumental in my becoming a classroom teacher. That was in the late 1970's, when many of us were deeply suspicious of the Establishment. We were looking for ways to be more genuine as people, and to make the world a better place for people of all genders, cultures, races, and religions. Holt's deep compassion for the inner lives of children was inspirational for me. Now that I've seen "the system" in action in various school districts, I find that while I share Holt's frustration with it, I also think he is barking up the wrong tree. Sure, we should listen to kids more and test them less. We should teach the whole child not just pour facts into a hole we drill into the top of their heads. BUT in fact, many kids benefit from direct instruction. I can't tell you how difficult it was for me to fit into the real world of age-segregated classrooms, detentions and grade-level standards. It turns out, though, that you can teach effectively within that framework. It's not ideal but it's reality. ( )