Growing Without Schooling: A Record of a Grassroots Movement (Paperback)

by John Holt (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Growing Without Schooling, Vol. 1, is an important publishing event, destined to achieve archival status as the record this tiny journal wrote and continues to write (a record of grassroots human accomplishment in the face of pedagogical theories which deny that such events are even possible). Make no mistake, for all its quiet words and homely illustrations this is a revolutionary book you are holding. I envy you the amazement you will feel as you learn about the genius of children and parents in these pages and use what you learn to awaken possibilities in yourself." -- John Taylor Gatto, author of Dumbing Us Down

Product Description
John Holt promoted the homeschooling movement (which he originally called "unschooling") when he published the first issue of GWS in August 1977. Here, for the first time under once cover, are the first twelve issues of GWS, fully indexed and organized to help you browse or research its vast archive of ideas about how adults and children can learn together in their homes and communities. These first issues are particularly important because they contain much writing by Holt (he edited and contributed to every issue in this volume) about the how and why of unschooling that is not published anywhere else, as well as hundreds of firsthand accounts by unschooling's earliest practitioners that resonate with even more meaning today.

Learning Music News From CA
And N.J.
A Baby
Capable Children
Abe's Baby
M and the Stove
A Girl Skating
Choral Reading
Let's Read
Gnomes
Cousteau Society
The Flyer

Issue No. 4
Radcliffe Statement
Batting Practice
To the ACLU
Testing in the Schools
From Florida
Beating the System
From L
To a Dean
From a Teacher
Motive
On Saying "No"
A Single Parent
A Reply
Addition
Ann Replies
Rub-On Letters
Teachers' "Skills"
Calculators
Politics Of Schooling
An Important Decision
A Poster
Newsstand Sales
Secrecy

Issue No. 5
A Learning Exchanger
The Child Finders
What They're Selling
Fan Letter
Time of Our Own
From Oregon
Nobody Sees Backwards
Teacher Story
Reading Readiness
On Class Bias
No Comment
From a Mother
Access to D.C.
From Julia
To a Reader
From a Father
A Reply
The Therapeutic State
A Speech Defect
Research
Skinner's Gun
School Story
A Legal Strategy
The J-Bomb
In a Boat
Children of Film
News Item

Issue No. 6
Equivalent
Einstein Said
From A Parent
The Child Takers
Good News From Vt.
Doctor
No Comment
The World at Two
A Family Game
Life in School
Her Own Money
An Adventure
Greenleaf
Teaching Without School
A City as Teacher
News Item
Facts and Theories
Jobs, Careers, Work
Finding True Work
A Slow Start
Remedial
From Art Harris
No Comment
Reading Problems
On Reading
Thirty Hours
Multiplication, Etc.
Abstractions
Teaching
Useful Resources
Why School?
Good Reasons
And Real Ones
School Story
Books Av. Here
Good News

Issue No. 7
Help Needed
Ruling From Iowa
A Landmark Case
Legal Strategies
Fractions
The Social Life
No Comment
Good News From Mo.
School Story
Sensible Phonics
Teaching
More On "No"
Starting a School
Parents' Rights
The World at Two (Cont.)
Scientists
A Self-Teacher
N.Y. Law
Politics Of Knowledge
An "Ignorant" Man
Finding Out
Credentials
On Learning
Useful Book
Textbooks
Tree Planters
A Record

Issue No. 8
New Records
A Good Invention
From Ky.
Unschoolers
A Needed Law
Sherlock's Triumph
Electricity
On "Infinity"
From Newark
A Shelter School
On "Religious Belief"
From Quebec
Learning a Language
On Understanding
Seatwork
Government Property
The Schools Confess
Smoking
Growing With Trees
Reply
The Work Ethic
Children and Play
Sports
A Homemade Fable
Pig In The Bed
Typing
A Case Lost
What Can We Learn?
A Case Won
The Ruling
Legal Procedures
Ask Your Library
A Teacher Writes
Learning Exchanges
Volunteers Needed
New Books On Our List
Old Favorite

Issue No. 9
Coming Lectures
Good News
Reminder
A Discovery
Child Artist
Scientists
Requiem
Smokescreen
Einstein's Questions
"Testing" Adults
On An Island
Reading Game
Money
GWS Local Chapters
Truth Leaks Out
Helpers
Why Schools Began
A Wonderful Book
Those Voices
Word Game
Grammar
Worms
Home-Builder Schools
College at Home
Schools and Jobs
Friendly Prof.
A Useful School
Summer Work
The Crowded Court
On Evaluation
A Place for Doing Things
Learning Disabilities
To an Editor
The Law Summed Up
Texas Law
Judge Greaney's Ruling
Let's Use It
School Or Club?
Home School Guides
Math By Discovery
Tidbit From Manas
A Private Reader
S. R. C. In Paperback
Many Thanks

Issue No. 10
Coming Lectures
Change In Group Subs
News From N.H.
And Providence, R.I.
In The Woods
Calvert News
Growing In Denmark
And In Canada
From A Mother
A Book Of Free Things
Books and Guns
Child Publishers
And Volunteers
Photos
They Don't Know
"Good Teaching"
Helping Learners
From The Northwest
A Book On Tests
Why She Left
A Father Writes
Looking At Babies
On N.H. Guidelines
Bad Scene
The Magic Gun
Book Bargains
New Books Here
Maps
Our Pentagon Paper

Issue No. 11
Coming Lectures
From a Working Mother
Success Story: Cape Cod
Unschooling Survey
An Unschooled Special Child
Typing Help Available
Writing a "Curriculum"
The "Social Life"
Success Story: Indiana
The Violin at Two
Auto Expert at Seven
...And a Computer Expert
Calvert Ad
A Good Idea
Ruling in Va.
Parents' School
Growing in Canada
Trying Out School
Games
Problem Solved
New Age Articles
Calvert Books Wanted
New Books Available Here

Issue No. 12
A Holiday Greeting
Coming Lectures
Local Groups
Good News From Wisc.
Writing First
Unschooled Children
NJ Center
Research
Home Study School
Helpful
News From Ill.
Letter to Schools
Ky. Ruling
News From Nc
A Troubled Unschooler
More on 'Equivalent'
Minimizing School
World of 'Weepuls'
Cops 'N Robbers
Reading Poetry
Learning to Type
Game Ideas
Teaching Chemistry
Science Resources
Ski Adventure
Capable
Exploring Work
News About Tests
And Test Info
Her Own Decision
Boot Camp
They Have a Choice
Tenn. Report
Unschooling in Holland
Success Story: Ark.
Legislative Approach
New Books Available Here
Index

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 262 pages
• Publisher: Holt Associates (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0913677108
• ISBN-13: 978-0913677100
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,744,684 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and inspiring, June 10, 2001

By	christinemm - The Thinking Mother (Connecticut, United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This volume is the first 12 issues of Growing Without Schooling reprinted in an easier-to-read font than the originals. These first newsletters were all written by Holt (versus staff writers) with the exception of some printed letters from readers. I have been subscribing to GWS for a few years but had never actually read anything written by Holt (who is now deceased). I was wonderfully delighted by these newsletters and could not put this book down.

These writings are a collection of subjects such as: suggesting homeschooling as an option to compulsory schooling, legal issues surrounding the ability to homeschool including having to make up one's own private school name, problems with formal schooling (public and private), how children learn naturally without much help from adults, and that children are capable of handling more responsibility than adults usually allow them to. Holt advises on how parents should deal with the school administrators such as when portfolio reviews are necessary. There is a good amount about the growing homeschooling movement and the legal issues; if that does not appeal to you then just skip over it and there is plenty of other information to make reading and buying this volume worthwhile. Holt includes some letters from readers and then responds, and other times he just prints up a response to issues raised by parents. Interspersed are ideas for ways to teach certain things better such as reading and writing and other useful tidbits. Holt also discusses various books that he has read and tells his opinions of them. Of note: these back issues are much more anti-school and negative in tone than the current issues of the magazine which focus more on just pro-homeschooling and are more of a positive attitude. Holt mentioned in one of these first issues that he hoped someday that GWS would evolve to be a forum for homeschooling families to write of their successes and I feel that indeed that is what has occurred. (The first issues were just Holt doing the writing and the current issues of GWS are almost all reader-submitted essays.)

Very readable and enjoyable. It made me want to buy all the back issues of GWS. I have since gone on to read some of Holt's books, which tackle specific areas (see my other reviews). As a homeschooling parent it made me feel more confident in both my children's natural ability to learn and of my ability as a person not educated in college as a schoolteacher to be capable and even a superior "teacher" for my own children.

I highly recommend that anyone thinking of homeschooling their children read this. Open-minded teachers would learn some helpful tidbits as well.