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‘What Do I Do Monday?’ by John Holt

By RachelUndefined on January 23, 2010 • ( 0 )

Opening Sentence:This is a book for teachers, for parents, for children or friends of children, for anyone who cares about education.
Synopsis:John Holt, the famous author of How Children Fail, How Children Learn, and The Underachieving School, explores new means of making learning creative and exciting for children. His book bursts with ideas for making children think, react and discover. His practical exercises are simple and stimulating. There are no marks, no grades in Holt’s scheme of things, for he sees learning as an integral part of life’s experience, not as something separate. The result is a book that is both practical and easy to read, not only for teachers, but also for parents, for children or friends of children, or anyone who cares about education.
Genre:Non-Fiction
Rating:@@@
Pages:311
ISBN:o-273-00403-4
Year:1974
Format:Paperback
Comments:I have been hearing a lot about John Holt while trawling forums and websites about homeschooling, so I thought I might as well check him out. What Do I Do Monday? is the first book that became available at my local library, so this is the one I read first. Holt soundly condemns methods used in public schools at the time (methods that have improved very little since then!) and I found myself agreeing with the majority of his opinions.

He doesn’t just argue against these methods, though. He also provides some alternatives. This book is packed full of great ideas for helping (not making!) children to follow their natural learning inclinations. I particularly love the way he explained certain Maths concepts. Not being mathematically minded myself, this is perhaps the first time in my life that I have fully understood some of these concepts!

This book is a must-read for anyone embarking on the homeschool journey, but I also recommend it to parents, grandparents, teachers and anyone else who cares for the children in their life.

Aren’t Schools ‘Spozed’ To Educate Your Child? – Not According to John Holt (survivalsherpa.wordpress.com)
Different Approaches to Homeschooling (earlylearninghq.org.uk)
School Is Bad for Children (lewrockwell.com)
For one thing, … (rebelpearl.wordpress.com)
Things I Despised About My Education (nabeelqu.com)

‹ Jason Clarke quoted in ‘What’s Happening to Our Girls?’ by Maggie Hamilton

Maggie Hamilton in ‘What’s Happening to Our Girls?’ ›

Categories: Impressions

Tags: books, education, Holt, homeschool, How Children Fail, john holt, mathematics, Parent, Teacher, unschooling

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How do I rate my books?

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