How Children Learn

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How Children Learn
Author John Holt
Country United States
Language English
Subject(s) Education
Genre(s) Non-fiction
Publisher Delacorte Press (1983), Perseus Publishing (1995)
Publication date 1967, 1983 (revised)
Pages 303 (1983 edition), 320 (1995 edition)
ISBN ISBN 0-440-03835-9

How Children Learn is a book by educator John Holt, first published in 1967. A revised edition was released in 1983 with new chapters and commentaries.

The book focuses on Holt's interactions with young children, and his observations of children learning. From these experiences he attempts to make sense of how and why children do the things they do. The central thesis of his work is that children learn most effectively by their own motivation and on their own terms. He opposes teaching in general, believing that children find it just as patronizing as would an adult, and that parents should only provide information as it is requested.

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