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Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book Of Homeschooling
The classic and indispensable work on teaching children at home, fully updated for today's new laws, new lifestyles, and the growing new generation of homeschooling parents Today more than one and a half million children are being taught at home by their own parents. In this expanded edition of the book that helped launch the whole movement, Pat Farenga has distilled John Holt's timeless understanding of the ways children come to understand the world and added up-to-the-moment legal, financial, and logistical advice. No parent even considering homeschooling should be without this wise and unique reference. Rather than proposing that parents turn their homes into miniature schools, Holt and Farenga demonstrate how ordinary parents can help children grow as social, active learners. Chapters on living with children, "serious play," children and work, and learning difficulties will fascinate and encourage parents and help them enjoy each "homeschool" day. John Holt's warm understanding of children and his passionate belief in every child's ability to learn have made this book the bible of homeschooling families everywhere.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 1981
195 people are currently reading
3320 people want to read
About the author
John C. Holt
23 books343 followersAfter teaching in private schools for many years John Caldwell Holt wrote his first two books, How Children Fail, and How Children Learn. He became a vocal advocate for school reforms, and wrote several more books about education theory and practice, including alternative forms and many social issues relating to the education system. Eventually he decided school reform was impossible, and changed his focus to homeschooling. He started America's first magazine dedicated to the subject, Growing Without Schooling, in 1977.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
October 30, 2021
Calling all homeschoolers or those interested in homeschooling!! The late John Holt made a huge huge huge impact in the way I have seen my children and parented them and reparented myself to be honest. Thankful to have Pat Farenga bring this book out for our new generation of homeschoolers that is booming. This is a great, easy to read, inspiring, empowering, and informative book that anyone can learn and grow from. Absolute essential for homeschoolers of all types.
December 10, 2009
I liked this book, a lot. Before picking up John Holt (one of the unschooling masters) I thought unschooling frankly, sounded like a lot of hooey. Really, kids just being all motivated to learn everything they needed to know....on their own. Riiiiiiight! And then I read this book. I have totally changed my tune and now think that unschooling actually sounds more than plausible, it sounds inspiring and right up my alley. I'm going to be looking for other books by John Holt and other books by unschooling folks to corroborate my new view but, at the moment, I feel like my world's been changed. I loved all the real life examples from families who unschooled and the concrete information about how you handle the abstract subjects like physics, calculus and world philosophy....and felt really inspired by their successes. Can't wait to learn more and start living it myself!
May 29, 2013
A good book, but for some reason I didn’t like it quite as much as some others I’ve read. I’m in favor of homeschooling, but the arguments seem to be a little too idealistic at the beginning. Patrick Ferenga takes John Holt’s original book and leaves his own comments about what was said. It’s an interesting mix.
Despite all that, I learned a great deal from the book and I think it was still an important resource in building up my educational philosophy and solidifying my reasons and desires for homeschooling.
Here are some of my favorite passages:
p.236 “Don’t let your family get lost in your efforts to school your children. It’s easy to replace teachers, but not parents. Some parents burn out from homeschooling by trying to be demanding “professional” teachers for some parts of the day, then sympathetic parents for other parts, and the stress of switching between these two roles becomes too burdensome. Be a loving parent to your children all the time.”
p.163 “Live together, as well as you can; enjoy life together, as much as you can. Ask questions to find out something about the world itself, not to find out whether or not someone knows it.”
p.278-279 “It is a most serious mistake to think that learning is an activity separate from the rest of life, that people do best when they are not doing anything else and best of all in places where nothing else is done. It is an equally serious mistake to think that teaching, the assisting of learning and the sharing of knowledge and skill, is something that can be done only by a few specialists. When we lock learning and teaching in the school box, as we do, we do not get more effective teaching and learning on society, but much less.
p.145 “It’s hard work, of course, for us to adjust ourselves to the kids’ interests. They wake up every morning curious but, alas, rarely curious about the particular topics that we might be prepared to talk about or might prefer that they be curious about – that’s when temptation rears its head and must be suppressed. It’s a waste of time and quickly degenerates into intellectual bullying to try to sidetrack a kid onto topics you think he should be learning. …Keep your mouth shut when you are not needed, and be ready to help when you are. The kid will learn.”
p.142 “It interests me, though, how quickly the kids latch onto my real enthusiasms and, without anybody intending any thing, begin to learn.”
p.166 “Intelligence, as I wrote in How Children fail, is not the measure of how much we know how to do, but of how we behave when we don’t know what to do. It has to do with our ability to think up important questions and then to find ways to get useful answers.”
p.276 “Yet in all my years in the classroom what I learned was not so much how children learn as how they defend themselves against learning, not so much how they explored and made sense of the world as how they worked out slippery strategies for dodging the danger of school, the pain and shame of not knowing, being wrong, failing. …Only as I began to understand how human beings learned when they learned best did I begin to understand what was wrong with the classroom and my own and others’ teaching.” (“when they learned best” is referring to his observations of infants and toddlers and how quickly and easily they learn about the world around them)
(This last one is more a reminder to myself)
p.236 “Some families are able to barter for outside lessons and to volunteer in exchange for admission to arts events or museums. Older homeschoolers find that volunteering is a good way to learn from adults outside the family, and it is often less expensive than taking a class or buying equipment.”
Despite all that, I learned a great deal from the book and I think it was still an important resource in building up my educational philosophy and solidifying my reasons and desires for homeschooling.
Here are some of my favorite passages:
p.236 “Don’t let your family get lost in your efforts to school your children. It’s easy to replace teachers, but not parents. Some parents burn out from homeschooling by trying to be demanding “professional” teachers for some parts of the day, then sympathetic parents for other parts, and the stress of switching between these two roles becomes too burdensome. Be a loving parent to your children all the time.”
p.163 “Live together, as well as you can; enjoy life together, as much as you can. Ask questions to find out something about the world itself, not to find out whether or not someone knows it.”
p.278-279 “It is a most serious mistake to think that learning is an activity separate from the rest of life, that people do best when they are not doing anything else and best of all in places where nothing else is done. It is an equally serious mistake to think that teaching, the assisting of learning and the sharing of knowledge and skill, is something that can be done only by a few specialists. When we lock learning and teaching in the school box, as we do, we do not get more effective teaching and learning on society, but much less.
p.145 “It’s hard work, of course, for us to adjust ourselves to the kids’ interests. They wake up every morning curious but, alas, rarely curious about the particular topics that we might be prepared to talk about or might prefer that they be curious about – that’s when temptation rears its head and must be suppressed. It’s a waste of time and quickly degenerates into intellectual bullying to try to sidetrack a kid onto topics you think he should be learning. …Keep your mouth shut when you are not needed, and be ready to help when you are. The kid will learn.”
p.142 “It interests me, though, how quickly the kids latch onto my real enthusiasms and, without anybody intending any thing, begin to learn.”
p.166 “Intelligence, as I wrote in How Children fail, is not the measure of how much we know how to do, but of how we behave when we don’t know what to do. It has to do with our ability to think up important questions and then to find ways to get useful answers.”
p.276 “Yet in all my years in the classroom what I learned was not so much how children learn as how they defend themselves against learning, not so much how they explored and made sense of the world as how they worked out slippery strategies for dodging the danger of school, the pain and shame of not knowing, being wrong, failing. …Only as I began to understand how human beings learned when they learned best did I begin to understand what was wrong with the classroom and my own and others’ teaching.” (“when they learned best” is referring to his observations of infants and toddlers and how quickly and easily they learn about the world around them)
(This last one is more a reminder to myself)
p.236 “Some families are able to barter for outside lessons and to volunteer in exchange for admission to arts events or museums. Older homeschoolers find that volunteering is a good way to learn from adults outside the family, and it is often less expensive than taking a class or buying equipment.”
July 16, 2008
I've just discovered this maverick guy. What a trailblazer he was. I'm only sorry he died young and didn't stick around long enough to continue writing and publishing his magazine Growing Without Schooling. While I don't agree w/all his ideas, I do find many of them compelling. His analysis of how children learn and how the public school system discourages natural curiosity in favor of mass conformity makes so much sense! I recommend reading this one, as well as How Children Learn.
August 24, 2025
Holt has a lot of inspiring things to say about homeschooling and about living with children. I love his ideas about respect for the child and about giving them plenty of opportunities to learn from real life and engage in play. He tends to get a bit hyperbolic (but this seems natural for someone who felt he was fighting for a cause) and I don't agree with all of his assertions, especially his ideas about learning disabilities. However, there was much that I enjoyed and admired about his writing. Good food for thought if you're considering homeschooling.
Edited to add: I just read something that I think applies to Holt. "In many intellectual movements, the pioneers are unreconstructed and immoderate; it is left to the next generation to temper and qualify and blend what is useful from other theories" (Kohl 10). Holt had to be this way to accomplish the things he did and now it is our job to temper and blend.
Edited to add: I just read something that I think applies to Holt. "In many intellectual movements, the pioneers are unreconstructed and immoderate; it is left to the next generation to temper and qualify and blend what is useful from other theories" (Kohl 10). Holt had to be this way to accomplish the things he did and now it is our job to temper and blend.
February 5, 2009
It's harsh to give this two stars when I only flipped through it, but the truth is, it just wasn't what I was looking for. This book is a compilation of letters written to John Holt detailing experiences people had with responses on how to school at home. While I've no doubt that it's incredibly useful, I found it very difficult to read and was more interested in other homeschooling texts that give more information on the life experience of homeschooling as well as how to make use of those teachable moments. See my bookshelf for other books.
September 23, 2009
Hmm, an interesting book. I was somewhat dubious about homeschooling before I read it and it has made me think again. I am intrigued and convinced by the ideas that learning is a part of living, and is most effective and enjoyable when it happens spontaneously and independently rather than being forced on students.
However I felt that my main concerns around homeschooling, namely a feminist discomfort with the way so many (although of course not all) homeschoolers seem to be women supported by their husbands and questions about whether this would be possible on a universal scale, were not really addressed. Ok, I get that people should have the right to teach their children, for example, in a religious setting, but where is the line crossed in violated their human rights? If children are taught very limited and generally not accepted theories (eg creationism), is this ok? And what about if parents think that daughters should have a different kind of education than sons?
Furthermore, it seems to me that while homeschooling may benefit the individual child, what about the community as a whole? The majority of people will not have the resources to homeschool, and those with fewer resources (education, money, time, language) are more likely to need extra support through their educational lives. But if the educated middle class opt out of public schooling, by homeschooling or private schooling, then public schools lose needed resources. What do homeschoolers feel about the children in their community who suffer when more privileged children no longer contribute to public schools?
I accept that these criticisms are not good reasons for banning homeschooling, and I agree absolutely that people should have the right to homeschool their children. In many cases I agree it is superior to institutional schooling. But this is in a situation where those who homeschool are in the minority, and thus are especially motivated and thoughtful individuals. For people like that, this book is fascinating. But would it work if everyone did it? I don't know.
However I felt that my main concerns around homeschooling, namely a feminist discomfort with the way so many (although of course not all) homeschoolers seem to be women supported by their husbands and questions about whether this would be possible on a universal scale, were not really addressed. Ok, I get that people should have the right to teach their children, for example, in a religious setting, but where is the line crossed in violated their human rights? If children are taught very limited and generally not accepted theories (eg creationism), is this ok? And what about if parents think that daughters should have a different kind of education than sons?
Furthermore, it seems to me that while homeschooling may benefit the individual child, what about the community as a whole? The majority of people will not have the resources to homeschool, and those with fewer resources (education, money, time, language) are more likely to need extra support through their educational lives. But if the educated middle class opt out of public schooling, by homeschooling or private schooling, then public schools lose needed resources. What do homeschoolers feel about the children in their community who suffer when more privileged children no longer contribute to public schools?
I accept that these criticisms are not good reasons for banning homeschooling, and I agree absolutely that people should have the right to homeschool their children. In many cases I agree it is superior to institutional schooling. But this is in a situation where those who homeschool are in the minority, and thus are especially motivated and thoughtful individuals. For people like that, this book is fascinating. But would it work if everyone did it? I don't know.
February 11, 2008
Eye-opening. This book helped me have the courage to homeschool my children.
September 15, 2008
THis is my favorite book on "unschooling". THis is written by a mom of two who was a teacher and shares her joys and stuggles of opening her children's life to the opportunity of natural learning. I strongly recommend anyone skeptical or curious about unschooling to read this book, it is a must!! It's wonderful how she describes her and her husband's own stuggles over comming the ingrained tradition learning/teaching they were taught and gives the results of what happens when that is pressed upon their kids by accident. It's wonderful having a teacher notice the consequences the "one size fits all" type of set cirriuculum-on the clock-testing schooling has on children.
May 18, 2013
This is John Holt's most direct coverage about "unschooling" - why to do it, how to do it, and how to deal with those who believe otherwise. After his death in 1985, Pat Farenga continued his message, including updates to this work, primarily to comment on modern issues and the latest political developments. This book will challenge traditional views in a persuasive no-nonsense way. I suspect it will also challenge most home school parents to consider more creative methods based on their children's natural curiosity.
May 18, 2009
If I hadn't already been convinced I should homeschool my children, this book would have convinced me. Intelligent, thought-provoking, and inspiring.
July 14, 2009
This is an excellent book for those who are thinking of home schooling
September 17, 2009
Reading this book will make you never want to place your loving child in a public or private school. This book is amazing, inspiring and simply wonderful.
April 6, 2023
Just skimmed this one as I'm not pretty familiar with his perspective, and have a positive view of homeschooling already. Totally recommend it for newbies though! Although this actually convinced me to pull my kid from a small half day kindergarten and not to put them in swimming lessons this summer (-:
January 17, 2024
A great discussion on learning techniques and methods, helpful for home education and parents alike.
February 20, 2013
Frankly, I was disappointed in this book. Having read Holt's _How Children Fail_ and _How Children Learn_ I was expecting to hear that same engaging voice here and it is almost completely absent. He allows his text to be overridden by an overabundance of quotes and anecdotes from others without sufficient analysis to make it sound his own. Of course this is not entirely Holt's fault because their is another author (Patrick Farenga) who updates Holt's work by offering his own commentary and asides throughout the book. What we end up with is a series of first hand accounts being commented on by Holt and then those comments commented on by Farenga, all categorized and then more loosely categorized in larger chunks that make up the chapters. The whole does not readily lend itself to a cohesive vision of what it would be to "teach your own" or how to really go about that.
Aside from that, Farenga is often annoyingly "selling" us on the book we are reading, telling us how important or influential it has been to the homeschool movement and thought and relating his own experiences with it and his evolving understanding of what that movement means. While normally this wouldn't be so objectionable, it often muddles up further the organization of this book.
I wanted Holt's magnum opus on homeschooling philosophy here, where it had only been hinted at and thought through in the other two books I have read by him (rightly so because they were journalistic and observational), but instead we seem to get the notes he might have taken for such a book. It is as though he had collected a body of research and had begun to annotate it, but rather than making his argument and fully fleshing out his ideas, he settled for publishing that annotated bibliography as is.
Aside from that, Farenga is often annoyingly "selling" us on the book we are reading, telling us how important or influential it has been to the homeschool movement and thought and relating his own experiences with it and his evolving understanding of what that movement means. While normally this wouldn't be so objectionable, it often muddles up further the organization of this book.
I wanted Holt's magnum opus on homeschooling philosophy here, where it had only been hinted at and thought through in the other two books I have read by him (rightly so because they were journalistic and observational), but instead we seem to get the notes he might have taken for such a book. It is as though he had collected a body of research and had begun to annotate it, but rather than making his argument and fully fleshing out his ideas, he settled for publishing that annotated bibliography as is.
May 14, 2013
This book is a little idealistic, like you can tell the original author (Holt's writing is in a different font from Ferenga's) never actually had any kids of his own and doesn't understand what it's like to be with them 24/7 or to have any sort of legacy stake in their development. But I do think an excellent point he makes is not to quash a child's curiosity or experimentation too young (or at all, ideally). Also to learn by doing and autodidactism.
Holt comes across as highly diplomatic and optimistic, whereas I am neither. :-) Holt seems to believe that children will choose to learn all they need to know in a non-restrictive environment where they guide their own learning. I can see this being a viable learning method with some fields of study, but maybe not so much with things like math. Also, obviously, if one is pursuing a career field where specific credentials are necessary (medicine, law, teaching, accounting) they're gonna have to suck it up and jump through the hoops.
Anyway, so Holt is one of the modern pioneers of unschooling or deschooling. Not classical education or private school or Charlotte Mason or whatever. He's more of a "life as a classroom" kind of guy, and this book is definitely worth a read, but probably not worthy of premium shelf space.
Holt comes across as highly diplomatic and optimistic, whereas I am neither. :-) Holt seems to believe that children will choose to learn all they need to know in a non-restrictive environment where they guide their own learning. I can see this being a viable learning method with some fields of study, but maybe not so much with things like math. Also, obviously, if one is pursuing a career field where specific credentials are necessary (medicine, law, teaching, accounting) they're gonna have to suck it up and jump through the hoops.
Anyway, so Holt is one of the modern pioneers of unschooling or deschooling. Not classical education or private school or Charlotte Mason or whatever. He's more of a "life as a classroom" kind of guy, and this book is definitely worth a read, but probably not worthy of premium shelf space.
June 13, 2008
There are several things I really agreed with in this book, such as the fact that children have different learning styles, many of which are not encouraged in a traditional school setting. Also, although schools are considered experts in educating children, the parents are really the experts because they know the children well. Also, children really delve into learning, enjoy and remember it when it is something they choose to learn.
But Holt goes off in many tangents that I thought took away from the book, such as his ideas about raising children. He definitely has some strange ideas about child rearing. But if you ignore those things, the core of the book is helpful to those looking into nontraditional ways of helping children learn. I especially appreciated Farenga's chapter on how to get started. I liked that he included the fact that there are children who really thrive with structure and "packaged" curriculum.
But Holt goes off in many tangents that I thought took away from the book, such as his ideas about raising children. He definitely has some strange ideas about child rearing. But if you ignore those things, the core of the book is helpful to those looking into nontraditional ways of helping children learn. I especially appreciated Farenga's chapter on how to get started. I liked that he included the fact that there are children who really thrive with structure and "packaged" curriculum.
September 27, 2007
This book is awesome and a classic! I pick it up from time to time to go back and find all of the gems inside again. A must read for all homeschooling parents and parents who are contemplating homeschooling.
March 16, 2011
Wow. Changed the way I think about education, for sure. This book is the reason I decided to homeschool my daughter. In the words of a friend when asked what to do if you're considering homeschooling: "Read anything by John Holt. The End." This is the one that did it for me.
July 30, 2013
So glad I read this. Full of interesting educational philosophy and ideas. Things I'm sure to work into both violin teaching and what we do with our son. Also wonderful to read so many examples and letters from parents working with their kids at home and how they facilitate learning.
February 18, 2008
I am still working on this. It is such a valuable, important and relevant book. John Holt is amazing. Too bad he is no longer with us.
November 28, 2008
I can, and will teach my own!
August 11, 2009
Really inspiring book...I read about a lot of ideas and examples that never occurred to me before about schools, children, and learning.
December 27, 2010
This book really helped me understand child-led learning.
March 31, 2020
I still like his first book best (How Children Fail), which is a bit disappointing to me. I always hope for better and better, but I shouldn’t be surprised. This happens with most secular books I read. “Teach Your Own” gives a much clearer picture of Holt’s vision for children and the world in general than he did in “How Children Fail”. So overall, there were some good things and some concerning things.
Negatives
This is a secular book. So some points Holt makes have to do with the kind of goals children ought to have. While the author isn’t against Christian ideals, it is a significant omission. For me, there are some significant mandates in Scripture that have to enter the educational picture. Holt also believes in the absolute innocence of a child’s nature, a non-christian view. For example, on page 55, he disagrees with a child learning something simply motivated by submission to authority. However, we are taught in Scripture to do just that in many arenas. Later in chapter 4 he qualifies this view by saying “not all people are innately good, neither are they innately bad.” I assume he holds to a “neutral” view of human nature.
There is a bit too much of a child-centric feel. Of course, the subject is their education, but this concern of mine hearkened back to my point above.
Holt often advocates helping children avoid meeting the expectations of others. This can be a potential problem. In reality, there is balance between cultivating creativity/independence and responsibility/team playing. Life does have a certain amount of expectations especially if you work for a boss or are meeting a certain level of achievement. If that doesn’t suit you, then you need to be your own boss. This is also concerning as it regards the Christian life with all of God’s expectations….balanced with His grace. To be fair again, Holt addresses this concern by his belief that a child’s mind / childhood is THE place where this kind of creativity, freedom, and independence SHOULD flourish for the sake of mental development. Plenty of time for buckling down later on, he says. Maybe he’s right, but I wouldn’t go as far as he does in this regard.
He’s not a capitalist, not a political conservative which comes out in his writing.
Any point of view that leaves out God will have deficiencies when it comes to the root causes of behavior and the very nature of Man. So his chapter on “living with children” it quite a bit incoherent to me as a Christian. That’s to be expected I guess. Read with a Scriptural filter and you’ll be fine.
Positives
One recurring theme is that children don’t really need every waking hour to be planned and scheduled in order to “succeed” in life. In fact, it’s just the opposite. That’s a relief to me!
Loved the section about whether homeschool parents are qualified enough…he uses Alaska as an example of the correspondence school model (pg 43).
I agree with him that Homeschooling is not for everyone. If a parent cannot, or will not, find a way to teach their child without doing harm (He likens the attitude to the hypocratic oath’s, “first do no harm.”), to teach without anxiety, then go ahead and put them in a school.
Loved, loved, loved his answer to the need for socialization. I hear this a lot that their child needs to be around other people besides me. Indeed I think of this often regarding my daughter who is my social butterfly. Holt says, “They need to know more and more adults whose main work in life is nottaking care of kids. They need some friends their own age, but not dozens of them; two or three, at most half a dozen, is as many real friends as any child can have at one time. Perhaps above all, they need a lot of privacy, solitude, calm, times when there’s nothing to do.” (pg 48)
Love his point about how children with special needs or learning disabilities often flourish in a homeschooling environment. I know several families in this situation, and he’s right!
Holt “likes, enjoys, and respects children.” This is his main theme in all of his books.
Maybe Holt’s vision of unschooled children everywhere, where children run the whole thing entirely rather than by parents or teachers is unrealistic and maybe even detrimental. Maybe strict traditional schooling with rigid graded expectations is unrealistic and detrimental too. The truth is somewhere in the middle I suspect. Maybe the solution is for parents, who love their kids best, to help them know the three R’s. Then we can leave the unschooling learning to grandparents! [wink]
Read my other book reviews at a href="http://mostlysensible.com/book-review....
Negatives
This is a secular book. So some points Holt makes have to do with the kind of goals children ought to have. While the author isn’t against Christian ideals, it is a significant omission. For me, there are some significant mandates in Scripture that have to enter the educational picture. Holt also believes in the absolute innocence of a child’s nature, a non-christian view. For example, on page 55, he disagrees with a child learning something simply motivated by submission to authority. However, we are taught in Scripture to do just that in many arenas. Later in chapter 4 he qualifies this view by saying “not all people are innately good, neither are they innately bad.” I assume he holds to a “neutral” view of human nature.
There is a bit too much of a child-centric feel. Of course, the subject is their education, but this concern of mine hearkened back to my point above.
Holt often advocates helping children avoid meeting the expectations of others. This can be a potential problem. In reality, there is balance between cultivating creativity/independence and responsibility/team playing. Life does have a certain amount of expectations especially if you work for a boss or are meeting a certain level of achievement. If that doesn’t suit you, then you need to be your own boss. This is also concerning as it regards the Christian life with all of God’s expectations….balanced with His grace. To be fair again, Holt addresses this concern by his belief that a child’s mind / childhood is THE place where this kind of creativity, freedom, and independence SHOULD flourish for the sake of mental development. Plenty of time for buckling down later on, he says. Maybe he’s right, but I wouldn’t go as far as he does in this regard.
He’s not a capitalist, not a political conservative which comes out in his writing.
Any point of view that leaves out God will have deficiencies when it comes to the root causes of behavior and the very nature of Man. So his chapter on “living with children” it quite a bit incoherent to me as a Christian. That’s to be expected I guess. Read with a Scriptural filter and you’ll be fine.
Positives
One recurring theme is that children don’t really need every waking hour to be planned and scheduled in order to “succeed” in life. In fact, it’s just the opposite. That’s a relief to me!
Loved the section about whether homeschool parents are qualified enough…he uses Alaska as an example of the correspondence school model (pg 43).
I agree with him that Homeschooling is not for everyone. If a parent cannot, or will not, find a way to teach their child without doing harm (He likens the attitude to the hypocratic oath’s, “first do no harm.”), to teach without anxiety, then go ahead and put them in a school.
Loved, loved, loved his answer to the need for socialization. I hear this a lot that their child needs to be around other people besides me. Indeed I think of this often regarding my daughter who is my social butterfly. Holt says, “They need to know more and more adults whose main work in life is nottaking care of kids. They need some friends their own age, but not dozens of them; two or three, at most half a dozen, is as many real friends as any child can have at one time. Perhaps above all, they need a lot of privacy, solitude, calm, times when there’s nothing to do.” (pg 48)
Love his point about how children with special needs or learning disabilities often flourish in a homeschooling environment. I know several families in this situation, and he’s right!
Holt “likes, enjoys, and respects children.” This is his main theme in all of his books.
Maybe Holt’s vision of unschooled children everywhere, where children run the whole thing entirely rather than by parents or teachers is unrealistic and maybe even detrimental. Maybe strict traditional schooling with rigid graded expectations is unrealistic and detrimental too. The truth is somewhere in the middle I suspect. Maybe the solution is for parents, who love their kids best, to help them know the three R’s. Then we can leave the unschooling learning to grandparents! [wink]
Read my other book reviews at a href="http://mostlysensible.com/book-review....
February 7, 2024
John Holt's "Teach Your Own" is a seminal work that challenges conventional education paradigms and empowers parents to take charge of their children's learning journey. Originally published in 1981, its principles remain relevant and revolutionary today.
In this paradigm-shifting classic, Holt advocates for homeschooling as a viable alternative to traditional schooling. He emphasizes the importance of fostering a child's natural curiosity and autonomy, arguing that institutionalized education often stifles creativity and genuine learning.
One of the key strengths of "Teach Your Own" is Holt's ability to demystify the homeschooling process. He provides practical guidance on how parents can create a rich learning environment at home, tailored to their child's interests and abilities. From designing a personalized curriculum to incorporating real-world experiences into education, Holt offers valuable insights for parents seeking to break free from the constraints of traditional schooling.
Moreover, Holt challenges the notion of standardized testing and grades, advocating for a more holistic approach to assessment that focuses on individual progress and understanding. He highlights the importance of nurturing a love for learning rather than merely striving for academic achievement.
Throughout the book, Holt draws on his experience as an educator and researcher to support his arguments. He presents compelling anecdotes and case studies to illustrate the transformative power of homeschooling and the benefits of allowing children to learn at their own pace.
However, "Teach Your Own" is not without its critics. Some may argue that homeschooling is not feasible for all families due to logistical or financial constraints. Additionally, concerns about socialization and accreditation may arise when considering alternative education models.
Overall, "Teach Your Own" is a groundbreaking work that continues to inspire and empower parents to take a more active role in their children's education. Holt's vision of homeschooling as a liberating and transformative experience challenges readers to rethink conventional notions of schooling and embrace a more personalized approach to learning.
Whether you are a seasoned homeschooling parent or simply curious about alternative education options, "Teach Your Own" offers invaluable insights and guidance that will resonate long after the final page. It is a must-read for anyone passionate about fostering a love for learning and nurturing the intellectual curiosity of the next generation.
In this paradigm-shifting classic, Holt advocates for homeschooling as a viable alternative to traditional schooling. He emphasizes the importance of fostering a child's natural curiosity and autonomy, arguing that institutionalized education often stifles creativity and genuine learning.
One of the key strengths of "Teach Your Own" is Holt's ability to demystify the homeschooling process. He provides practical guidance on how parents can create a rich learning environment at home, tailored to their child's interests and abilities. From designing a personalized curriculum to incorporating real-world experiences into education, Holt offers valuable insights for parents seeking to break free from the constraints of traditional schooling.
Moreover, Holt challenges the notion of standardized testing and grades, advocating for a more holistic approach to assessment that focuses on individual progress and understanding. He highlights the importance of nurturing a love for learning rather than merely striving for academic achievement.
Throughout the book, Holt draws on his experience as an educator and researcher to support his arguments. He presents compelling anecdotes and case studies to illustrate the transformative power of homeschooling and the benefits of allowing children to learn at their own pace.
However, "Teach Your Own" is not without its critics. Some may argue that homeschooling is not feasible for all families due to logistical or financial constraints. Additionally, concerns about socialization and accreditation may arise when considering alternative education models.
Overall, "Teach Your Own" is a groundbreaking work that continues to inspire and empower parents to take a more active role in their children's education. Holt's vision of homeschooling as a liberating and transformative experience challenges readers to rethink conventional notions of schooling and embrace a more personalized approach to learning.
Whether you are a seasoned homeschooling parent or simply curious about alternative education options, "Teach Your Own" offers invaluable insights and guidance that will resonate long after the final page. It is a must-read for anyone passionate about fostering a love for learning and nurturing the intellectual curiosity of the next generation.
June 29, 2019
9.5/10
This book is a bit dated, but full of valuable information. Here are a few interesting points, and things I might like to research further:
📘 the importance of learning without teaching and child-led learning
📘 there are differences between jobs, careers, and work (meaningful contribution, vocation, or calling; something you would do even without pay). "What do I think is most worth doing?" is not a question schools will often urge us or help us to ask; they feel it is their business only to prepare us for employment - jobs or careers. We are left to find out for ourselves what work needs to be done and is being done in the world, and where and how we will take part in it.
📘 tons of letters and testimonials from homeschooling families in Canada and the US, including a few from our neighbouring provinces 🇨🇦 Very inspirational!
📘 cites many Canadian court cases, and homeschooling laws. Holt recommends citing a few in your formal request to homeschool, which isn't necessary these days.
📘 learning disabilities may be caused by stress, anxiety, distrust, fear of failure, fear of wrong answers. In WWI and WWII soldiers were diagnosed with shell shock and psychoneurosis respectively causing deafness, blindness, loss of climb control. The cure for both were basically the same - to remove the afflicted men from the stress and danger. Most regained use of their limbs. Since then, many studies have been done linking stress with physical disabilities, and anxiety with perceptual handicaps.
This book is a bit dated, but full of valuable information. Here are a few interesting points, and things I might like to research further:
📘 the importance of learning without teaching and child-led learning
📘 there are differences between jobs, careers, and work (meaningful contribution, vocation, or calling; something you would do even without pay). "What do I think is most worth doing?" is not a question schools will often urge us or help us to ask; they feel it is their business only to prepare us for employment - jobs or careers. We are left to find out for ourselves what work needs to be done and is being done in the world, and where and how we will take part in it.
📘 tons of letters and testimonials from homeschooling families in Canada and the US, including a few from our neighbouring provinces 🇨🇦 Very inspirational!
📘 cites many Canadian court cases, and homeschooling laws. Holt recommends citing a few in your formal request to homeschool, which isn't necessary these days.
📘 learning disabilities may be caused by stress, anxiety, distrust, fear of failure, fear of wrong answers. In WWI and WWII soldiers were diagnosed with shell shock and psychoneurosis respectively causing deafness, blindness, loss of climb control. The cure for both were basically the same - to remove the afflicted men from the stress and danger. Most regained use of their limbs. Since then, many studies have been done linking stress with physical disabilities, and anxiety with perceptual handicaps.
August 16, 2020
I started this book with a different purpose. Apart from what benefit does home schooling provides, I was also expecting more of guidance on approach, resources, tips and tricks to home-school a kid. To some extent it did answer my questions. But to a larger extent it described the reality, problems parents faced, how to manage home school in US & Canada from legal perspective. I don't think this is a problem here in India (I am an Indian). But, in the end I realised this book wasn't completely for me. I have skipped lot's of parts in between that were not applicable to me.
Though there are many smalls things I have learnt which I have listed for my benefit. I'd like to follow these as I am raising my kid.
1. Participate with her in her imaginations.
2. Let her do her work at her own speed.
3. Let her draw and paint based on her own imaginations and not based on somebody's else's
4. Teach her some real life skill - Cooking, Fixing things, etc
5. Reading Reading & lots of Reading.
6. Let her participate in our work as Adults.
7. Keep your mouth shut when you are not needed and be ready when you are
8. Play a talk game with your kid, express any mundane task in words
Best piece of information I liked in this book.
" The most important question any thinking creature can ask itself is, "What is worth thinking about?" When we deny its right to decide that for itself, when we try to control what it must attend to and think about, we make it less observant, resourceful, and adaptive, in a word, less intelligent, in a blunter word, more stupid. "
Though there are many smalls things I have learnt which I have listed for my benefit. I'd like to follow these as I am raising my kid.
1. Participate with her in her imaginations.
2. Let her do her work at her own speed.
3. Let her draw and paint based on her own imaginations and not based on somebody's else's
4. Teach her some real life skill - Cooking, Fixing things, etc
5. Reading Reading & lots of Reading.
6. Let her participate in our work as Adults.
7. Keep your mouth shut when you are not needed and be ready when you are
8. Play a talk game with your kid, express any mundane task in words
Best piece of information I liked in this book.
" The most important question any thinking creature can ask itself is, "What is worth thinking about?" When we deny its right to decide that for itself, when we try to control what it must attend to and think about, we make it less observant, resourceful, and adaptive, in a word, less intelligent, in a blunter word, more stupid. "
July 19, 2017
What is it about?
This book is the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of Homeschooling. I think John Holt originally wrote this book sometime in the early 80s or late 70s, and it was updated by Pat Farenga in 2002. Still, a lot of the information is relevant today. If you have any remote interest in the idea of homeschooling it is a useful tool in learning more about it.
Was it good?
If this is your first John Holt book, I think you will find it brilliant. Having just read Learning All The Time a few months ago, I found some of the substance repetitive, I also did not like that most of the book was composed of snippets of letters written to the homeschool magazine that JH created. I would have preferred more writing from JH himself as he has a way of explaining things that makes it all seem like common sense. I recommend Learning All the Time above Teach Your Own, but both books are truly inspirational and very insightful.
As a parent who is determined to try homeschooling, I feel more confident for having read these books.
For more quick reviews, please visit my blog!
This book is the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of Homeschooling. I think John Holt originally wrote this book sometime in the early 80s or late 70s, and it was updated by Pat Farenga in 2002. Still, a lot of the information is relevant today. If you have any remote interest in the idea of homeschooling it is a useful tool in learning more about it.
Was it good?
If this is your first John Holt book, I think you will find it brilliant. Having just read Learning All The Time a few months ago, I found some of the substance repetitive, I also did not like that most of the book was composed of snippets of letters written to the homeschool magazine that JH created. I would have preferred more writing from JH himself as he has a way of explaining things that makes it all seem like common sense. I recommend Learning All the Time above Teach Your Own, but both books are truly inspirational and very insightful.
As a parent who is determined to try homeschooling, I feel more confident for having read these books.
For more quick reviews, please visit my blog!
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