Book Recommendation?
momsclubmh
I'll be hearing John Taylor Gatto speak soon, so I thought I'd order one of his books. I also noticed that you recommend John Holt on this site. At the moment, I'm only looking to buy two books, most likely one by each author. Eventually I'll read more, but I'm having a hard time deciding which two to start with and wondered if anyone has any recommendations?
I'm also wondering if Gatto is someone who you would also recommend reading, or if you generally prefer Holt? (I must admit that until a few minutes ago, I actually was thinking Gatto was the same person you recommended on this site. I hadn't realized they were two different people until I was browsing on Amazon.)
Thanks,
Pamela
I'm also wondering if Gatto is someone who you would also recommend reading, or if you generally prefer Holt? (I must admit that until a few minutes ago, I actually was thinking Gatto was the same person you recommended on this site. I hadn't realized they were two different people until I was browsing on Amazon.)
Thanks,
Pamela
Robyn Coburn
Gatto's book "The Underground History......" is available for free to read
on his website. As I understand it there are some valid criticisms about the
regional nature of the historical information which he presents as all
encompassing. It is definitely in the realm of school criticism rather than
being about unschooling. You might also like his shorter talk on the secret
lessons of schooling. I kinda enjoy it as a guilty pleasure confirming my
own anti-school bias.
My personal Holt favorites are those I read first - the bookend pair "How
Children Learn" and "How Children Fail". Others will have different
preferences. Get the most recent editions published while he lived - he
added footnotes and sometime detailed how he had changed his mind about some
things.
Robyn L. Coburn
www.iggyjingles.blogspot.com
Robyn L. Coburn
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
on his website. As I understand it there are some valid criticisms about the
regional nature of the historical information which he presents as all
encompassing. It is definitely in the realm of school criticism rather than
being about unschooling. You might also like his shorter talk on the secret
lessons of schooling. I kinda enjoy it as a guilty pleasure confirming my
own anti-school bias.
My personal Holt favorites are those I read first - the bookend pair "How
Children Learn" and "How Children Fail". Others will have different
preferences. Get the most recent editions published while he lived - he
added footnotes and sometime detailed how he had changed his mind about some
things.
Robyn L. Coburn
www.iggyjingles.blogspot.com
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Robyn L. Coburn
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Laurie
I'm simultaneously reading three of Gatto's books right now...doing some research for a proposed charter school...if I had to choose one to get a good overview of who Gatto is and what he is about, I'd choose "A Different Kind of Teacher"...perhaps his newest would be an option too, but I haven't read enough of it to confidantly recommend it yet ("Weapons of Mass Insruction). In general, I do recommend reading Gatto. I have been left with a lot to ponder after reading him that influences how I think about "education" and what it means to be "an educated person". Hope this helps.
Laurie
Laurie
--- In [email protected], "momsclubmh" <momsclubmh@...> wrote:
>
> I'll be hearing John Taylor Gatto speak soon, so I thought I'd order one of his books. I also noticed that you recommend John Holt on this site. At the moment, I'm only looking to buy two books, most likely one by each author. Eventually I'll read more, but I'm having a hard time deciding which two to start with and wondered if anyone has any recommendations?
>
> I'm also wondering if Gatto is someone who you would also recommend reading, or if you generally prefer Holt? (I must admit that until a few minutes ago, I actually was thinking Gatto was the same person you recommended on this site. I hadn't realized they were two different people until I was browsing on Amazon.)
>
> Thanks,
> Pamela
>
Jenny Cyphers
Gatto has a compelling argument against public school. John Holt says more about how kids learn or don't learn, in school and how that looks. Holt is the one who coined the term "unschooling". Gatto has little to do with unschooling. If it were me choosing between those 2 authors, I'd choose Holt. Gatto's writing can be read online.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Leah
If you go with a Gatto, I'd chase it with Holt. Gatto gets me fired up, Holt shows me what I can do about it. :)
Sandra Dodd
I'd choose Holt too. Holt can be read online, increasingly. Not
whole books, but there's quite a bit linked here:
http://sandradodd.com/holt
And the back issues of Growing Without Schooling are on the
unschooling.com site (some? all?), and I added that to my new
unschooling search box, so when searching for things unschoolers have
written in the past few years, you might also get the option to read
some of what was in GWS in the late 70s and 1980's.
I just got a note on my own book:
Hi Sandra!
I have been enjoying your book. I usually read it when I am nursing my
little girl (Anna- she's 2) to sleep. Tonight she took the book from
me and wouldn't give it back. She kept finding all the pictures of
your children as babies. She pointed to the picture of Holly as a
newborn and sad hold her...mine! I want that! Then she said (about the
book), "Read it! Read it! "So for fifteen minutes we "read" your book
and she savored all the baby pictures. On the picture w/ Marty and
Holly in the sandbox she pointed to Marty and said, "That's the kid."
Then she pointed to Holly and said "Kid loves baby."
Just thought you would be happy to know that your book pleases all age
groups!!!
-Eileen
http://sandradodd.com/bigbook
Sandra
whole books, but there's quite a bit linked here:
http://sandradodd.com/holt
And the back issues of Growing Without Schooling are on the
unschooling.com site (some? all?), and I added that to my new
unschooling search box, so when searching for things unschoolers have
written in the past few years, you might also get the option to read
some of what was in GWS in the late 70s and 1980's.
I just got a note on my own book:
Hi Sandra!
I have been enjoying your book. I usually read it when I am nursing my
little girl (Anna- she's 2) to sleep. Tonight she took the book from
me and wouldn't give it back. She kept finding all the pictures of
your children as babies. She pointed to the picture of Holly as a
newborn and sad hold her...mine! I want that! Then she said (about the
book), "Read it! Read it! "So for fifteen minutes we "read" your book
and she savored all the baby pictures. On the picture w/ Marty and
Holly in the sandbox she pointed to Marty and said, "That's the kid."
Then she pointed to Holly and said "Kid loves baby."
Just thought you would be happy to know that your book pleases all age
groups!!!
-Eileen
http://sandradodd.com/bigbook
Sandra
momsclubmh
Thanks for the link, but I'm going on a road trip, so I'm looking to pick up a "hard copy" book (as opposed to online reading). I also seem to find more time and enjoyment reading in bed and away from home, rather than in front of the computer.
Is there any particular Holt title you'd recommend starting with, Sandra? Someone else mentioned How Children Learn and How Children Fail. Those sound interesting. I'm just wondering if you'd suggest starting with one of those or if you have anything else to add.
Pamela
Is there any particular Holt title you'd recommend starting with, Sandra? Someone else mentioned How Children Learn and How Children Fail. Those sound interesting. I'm just wondering if you'd suggest starting with one of those or if you have anything else to add.
Pamela
--- In [email protected], Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...> wrote:
>
> I'd choose Holt too. Holt can be read online, increasingly. Not
> whole books, but there's quite a bit linked here:
>
> http://sandradodd.com/holt
Sandra Dodd
-=-Is there any particular Holt title you'd recommend starting with,
Sandra? Someone else mentioned How Children Learn and How Children
Fail. Those sound interesting. I'm just wondering if you'd suggest
starting with one of those or if you have anything else to add.-=-
I've already linked my own new book.
http://sandradodd.com/bigbook
If you order it from me it will arrive more quickly than if you order
from Lulu or Amazon.
John Holt was one of my favorite writers when there wasn't anything
else to read, but he never had children, so his knowledge was more
about school and the joy of the possibility of getting away from it
than about unschooling. Even in Teach Your Own, Never Too Late and
Learning all the Time (all of which I read +/- 18 years ago, the ideas
are not as solid as what you can get on this list or my site or Joyce's.
As to which Holt books, they're not always readily available, and it
depends what you want. Do you want to be persuaded that school is a
bad idea? Do you want to be assured that people can unschool? Last
Holt knew, some were trying it. <g>
If you want one book that will help you move from where you are to
unschooling, I recommend The Big Book of Unschooling.
For Holt books, I'd check the link on my holt page, or see what's
available used on Amazon.
http://sandradodd.com/holt
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sandra? Someone else mentioned How Children Learn and How Children
Fail. Those sound interesting. I'm just wondering if you'd suggest
starting with one of those or if you have anything else to add.-=-
I've already linked my own new book.
http://sandradodd.com/bigbook
If you order it from me it will arrive more quickly than if you order
from Lulu or Amazon.
John Holt was one of my favorite writers when there wasn't anything
else to read, but he never had children, so his knowledge was more
about school and the joy of the possibility of getting away from it
than about unschooling. Even in Teach Your Own, Never Too Late and
Learning all the Time (all of which I read +/- 18 years ago, the ideas
are not as solid as what you can get on this list or my site or Joyce's.
As to which Holt books, they're not always readily available, and it
depends what you want. Do you want to be persuaded that school is a
bad idea? Do you want to be assured that people can unschool? Last
Holt knew, some were trying it. <g>
If you want one book that will help you move from where you are to
unschooling, I recommend The Big Book of Unschooling.
For Holt books, I'd check the link on my holt page, or see what's
available used on Amazon.
http://sandradodd.com/holt
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Robin Bentley
On Feb 3, 2010, at 9:37 AM, Sandra Dodd wrote:
"something else but school" plus both of the above John Holt books
when I was exploring that "something else". But that was all that was
available to me at the time.
My understanding of unschooling didn't blossom until I read at
Sandra's and Joyce's sites, not to mention the unschooling discussion
lists.
I'd like to recommend Sandra's book from the get-go. Nothing (other
than the aforementioned sites and lists) will help you better
understand what unschooling can be.
Robin B.
> -=-Is there any particular Holt title you'd recommend starting with,I read the first Gatto book when I was brand new to the idea of
> Sandra? Someone else mentioned How Children Learn and How Children
> Fail. Those sound interesting. I'm just wondering if you'd suggest
> starting with one of those or if you have anything else to add.-=-
>
> I've already linked my own new book.
> http://sandradodd.com/bigbook
>
"something else but school" plus both of the above John Holt books
when I was exploring that "something else". But that was all that was
available to me at the time.
My understanding of unschooling didn't blossom until I read at
Sandra's and Joyce's sites, not to mention the unschooling discussion
lists.
I'd like to recommend Sandra's book from the get-go. Nothing (other
than the aforementioned sites and lists) will help you better
understand what unschooling can be.
Robin B.