How Children Learn (50th anniversary edition)

By: John Holt

Narrated by: Matthew Kugler

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

This enduring classic of educational thought offers teachers and parents deep, original insight into the nature of early learning. John Holt was the first to make clear that, for small children, "learning is as natural as breathing." In this delightful yet profound book, he looks at how we learn to talk, to read, to count, and to reason, and how we can nurture and encourage these natural abilities in our children.

©2017 HoltGWS LLC (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Deep insight into human learning

Loved this! it's a classic for a reason. Holt deeply cares for and respects children.

A must read for everyone with young children

I’ll be listening to this at least once a year as a homeschooling parent. So many important reframes and reminders.

Revolutionary

Every single parent should read this book and then put into practice everything in it. It will change absolutely the way you look at your children and how they learn.

Insight of a careful observer

John Holt saw the flaws of the education system 50 years ago. Those fissures have grown into huge gaping holes, to the point that the younger generations, especially the “well educated” ones, view the world through a distorted lens. The education establishment has produced mostly degraded products, and our society is in grave danger because of this.
Highly recommended for parents who want to bring up their children intelligent, independent, creative and entrepreneurial. They are our only hope. Without them the great American Experiment would come to an end.

Definitely a great listen

This book provides great information on the way children think/learn. It really makes you think about the idea of learning and has made me watch my children more thoughtfully. I'm glad I gave it a listen!

Must Read

This book is a stepping stone towards a better way to live, for individuals, for parents, for educators.

incredible, glad I read this

Well read, excellent. This was read with such understanding and conviction, I almost thought it was the author himself. The content here is inspiring. A great read as I am new to homeschooling, unschooling, and intentional parenting.

Slow, but worth it

It's a bit slow with a lot of anecdotal stories, but the stories are so symbolic and generalizable that you know there is deep truth and that research data is not necessary. The slow parts are worth it to get to where he relates the stories to the foundations of how children (and I think adults, too) learn.

So many truths and treasures!

This book rocks! Narrator is quite good. I thought he captured the personality of the author well. I was never bored or annoyed at his voice either and I’m pretty picky with narrators.

I was homeschooled all the way up to college. I LOVED school, I loved it so much I covered two grades worth of material in one year, and still couldn’t get enough. I deep dived into many, many subjects that interested me, as well as covering all the other subjects that were set in the curriculum we used. My parents chose to do sort of a hybrid between curriculum based (more structured) homeschooling and unschooling (unbeknownst to them). I couldn’t wait to learn and was really excited to go to college and major in a subject that I was passionate about.
Then something happened when I went to College. I hated it. I couldn’t understand why all the sudden learning was so boring. Even in classes that really interested me, I would get excited about it at first, and then get extremely bored with it after a couple weeks in. It seemed so constrained. Not to mention downright hard to understand.
Then I listened to this audio book and was amazed to finally understand why I was having such a hard time in the traditional education system. The truths in Holt’s book resonated so deeply with me because I have experienced them first hand. I have had the opportunity to homeschool to little boys of my own and see these truths play out time and time again. If you are at all unsure about homeschooling your children in this model, I would not hesitate for another second! Just please please please! Make sure your children have as many quality resources at their disposal as possible! Use the library. Take advantage of the love you live in and explore! Go to the ocean, river, lake or pond, the forest, field or slough. Go to museums, cultural centers, your neighbors house. Ask company’s for a tour of their business! It’s so much fun to watch children, excited and enthusiastic about the world around them. You’ll even catch a little of that curiosity yourself if you’re not careful!
Please consider this way of educating your children. You will find it to be really fun! Hard work, yes. But you and your children will thank your future self later- for the effort, care and love you put into this crucial aspect of their lives, and for helping them love to learn and grow everyday.

Really helpful

Such an eye opener listening to this book. This is a book I will listen too again and again as a reminder.