17 Thought-Provoking Quotes By John Holt That Give Insights About Homeschooling

Famous As: Educationist, Writer, Teacher

Born On: 1923

Died On: 1985

Born In: New York City, New York, United States

Died At Age: 62

John Holt was a distinguished American educator, proponent of homeschooling and the unschooling approach, pioneer of youth rights theory and author. After working in the school system for several years, he got disillusioned with it. He started advocating homeschooling as he got convinced with the thought that reforming the school system was not possible. His stressed the point that children should be given the freedom to follow their own interests and should be given an assortment of resources. He believed that children should not be coerced into learning. This eventually led to the line of thought called ‘Unschooling’. In 1977, he founded ‘Growing Without Schooling’ which became America’s first home education newsletter. Following is a corpus of thoughts, opinions and viewpoints shared by John Holt which are used as quotable quotes and sayings. Zoom through the quotes and sayings by John Holt on future, child, problems, attention, fee, experience, leadership, homeschooling, parenting and more.

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Writers

Quotes by Famous People

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don't know what to do.

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don't know what to do.
Character
John Holt

To trust children we must first learn to trust ourselves...and most of us were taught as children that we could not be trusted.

To trust children we must first learn to trust ourselves...and most of us were taught as children that we could not be trusted.
Children
John Holt

What is most important and valuable about the home as a base for children's growth into the world is not that it is a better school than the schools, but that it isn't a school at all.

What is most important and valuable about the home as a base for children's growth into the world is not that it is a better school than the schools, but that it isn't a school at all.
Home
John Holt

To a very great degree, school is a place where children learn to be stupid.

To a very great degree, school is a place where children learn to be stupid.
Children
John Holt

It's not that I feel that school is a good idea gone wrong, but a wrong idea from the word go. It's a nutty notion that we can have a place where nothing but learning happens, cut off from the rest of life.

It's not that I feel that school is a good idea gone wrong, but a wrong idea from the word go. It's a nutty notion that we can have a place where nothing but learning happens, cut off from the rest of life.
Life Learning I
John Holt

Fear, boredom, and resistance--they all go to make
what we call stupid children.

Fear, boredom, and resistance--they all go to make what we call stupid children.
Children Fear
John Holt

Much of what we call History is the success stories of madmen.

Much of what we call History is the success stories of madmen.
History
John Holt

A life worth living, and work worth doing - that is what I want for children (and all people), not just, or not even, something called 'a better education.

A life worth living, and work worth doing - that is what I want for children (and all people), not just, or not even, something called 'a better education.
Life Children Living I
John Holt

People should be free to find or make for themselves the kinds of educational experience they want their children to have.

People should be free to find or make for themselves the kinds of educational experience they want their children to have.
Experience Children
John Holt

Children learn from anything and everything they see. They learn wherever they are, not just in special learning places.

Children learn from anything and everything they see. They learn wherever they are, not just in special learning places.
Children Learning
John Holt

We learn to do something by doing it.
There is no other way.

We learn to do something by doing it. There is no other way.
John Holt

The biggest enemy to learning is the talking teacher.

The biggest enemy to learning is the talking teacher.
Learning
John Holt

Children are not only extremely good at learning; they are much better at it than we are.

Children are not only extremely good at learning; they are much better at it than we are.
Children
John Holt

Books ... rarely, if ever, talk about what children can make of themselves, about the powers that from the day or moment of birth are present in every child.

Books ... rarely, if ever, talk about what children can make of themselves, about the powers that from the day or moment of birth are present in every child.
Children Books
John Holt

We ask children to do for most of a day what few adults are able to do for even an hour. How many of us, attending, say, a lecture that doesn’t interest us, can keep our minds from wandering? Hardly any.

We ask children to do for most of a day what few adults are able to do for even an hour. How many of us, attending, say, a lecture that doesn’t interest us, can keep our minds from wandering? Hardly any.
Children
John Holt