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How Children Learn (50th anniversary edition)
- Narrated by: Matthew Kugler
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Education & Learning, Education
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Enjoyed
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Publisher's Summary
This enduring classic of educational thought offers teachers and parents deep, original insight into the nature of early learning. John Holt was the first to make clear that, for small children, "learning is as natural as breathing." In this delightful yet profound book, he looks at how we learn to talk, to read, to count, and to reason, and how we can nurture and encourage these natural abilities in our children.
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What listeners say about How Children Learn (50th anniversary edition)
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Gizzy
- 16-06-2020
50+ years of wisdom
This was written over 50 years ago and we are still in this trap of transmitted education.
This is a motivational and valuable book for all teachers/educators to read and reflect on.
1 person found this helpful
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- Kirsten Cant
- 30-04-2019
Loved this book
It really illustrated to me how much we should follow the child’s lead and have faith that the child will learn in their own way and time, and forcing them to learn in someone else’s time will only stifle their learning and motivation
1 person found this helpful
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- David
- 18-09-2019
Could be a lot shorter
Enjoyed the first 1/4 but the remaining 3/4 was long winded and a grind to get through.
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- Amazon Customer
- 29-07-2019
Brilliant
I didn’t really know much about this book before listening to it, other than that I had a vague memory of possibly hearing it recommended somewhere. At the start of the book I felt a bit apprehensive, wondering if the whole thing was just going to be a recollection of his interactions with children (playing with his typewriter and whatnot), but as I got further in I was blown away by the simplistic, yet revelational, truths of how children learn. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who has involvement in the lives of children (but especially parents). This is definitely the kind of book that I will return to over time to absorb the insights it provides. Thank-you for this wonderful work, Mr. Holt.
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- Amazon Customer
- 20-05-2019
So many truths and treasures!
This book rocks! Narrator is quite good. I thought he captured the personality of the author well. I was never bored or annoyed at his voice either and I’m pretty picky with narrators.
I was homeschooled all the way up to college. I LOVED school, I loved it so much I covered two grades worth of material in one year, and still couldn’t get enough. I deep dived into many, many subjects that interested me, as well as covering all the other subjects that were set in the curriculum we used. My parents chose to do sort of a hybrid between curriculum based (more structured) homeschooling and unschooling (unbeknownst to them). I couldn’t wait to learn and was really excited to go to college and major in a subject that I was passionate about.
Then something happened when I went to College. I hated it. I couldn’t understand why all the sudden learning was so boring. Even in classes that really interested me, I would get excited about it at first, and then get extremely bored with it after a couple weeks in. It seemed so constrained. Not to mention downright hard to understand.
Then I listened to this audio book and was amazed to finally understand why I was having such a hard time in the traditional education system. The truths in Holt’s book resonated so deeply with me because I have experienced them first hand. I have had the opportunity to homeschool to little boys of my own and see these truths play out time and time again. If you are at all unsure about homeschooling your children in this model, I would not hesitate for another second! Just please please please! Make sure your children have as many quality resources at their disposal as possible! Use the library. Take advantage of the love you live in and explore! Go to the ocean, river, lake or pond, the forest, field or slough. Go to museums, cultural centers, your neighbors house. Ask company’s for a tour of their business! It’s so much fun to watch children, excited and enthusiastic about the world around them. You’ll even catch a little of that curiosity yourself if you’re not careful!
Please consider this way of educating your children. You will find it to be really fun! Hard work, yes. But you and your children will thank your future self later- for the effort, care and love you put into this crucial aspect of their lives, and for helping them love to learn and grow everyday.
24 people found this helpful
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- shawna christian
- 25-12-2020
wasnt close to what I was expectomg
it was purely anecdotal, not based on real expiramentation. disappointed with information in the book
6 people found this helpful
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- Rachel Gibson
- 12-03-2018
Really helpful
Such an eye opener listening to this book. This is a book I will listen too again and again as a reminder.
5 people found this helpful
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- Tahira Maria Alberte
- 15-07-2020
Recommended Listening for Parents, Teachers, & Adults around children
Anyone who spends any amount of time with children need this book. It demonstrates the beautiful exchange between the smallest in our population and adults. Presents a logical approach for how to engage with and encourage children to feel safe learning and growing and taking part in our world.
I hope this book continues to positively impact the much needed change in our education system. I hope parents see how simply children learn and feel empowered to play and take active roles in their children’s learning process. I hope anyone who reads this book remains open minded and challenges their own perceptions and opinions. I hope we all shift our teaching styles more towards “how children learn.”
3 people found this helpful
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- T-Mac
- 08-06-2019
Good insights
Overall I enjoyed this book and I can apply this more in my children’s life as a parent. The beginning was a little slow but it had excellent insights and examples. Definitely would recommend.
2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 17-05-2018
A Must listen!
Amazing book. It has had a profound effect on me as a parent and as a human being. Essential for anyone with little (or not so little) ones in their life.
2 people found this helpful
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- A&M
- 07-07-2020
incredible, glad I read this
Well read, excellent. This was read with such understanding and conviction, I almost thought it was the author himself. The content here is inspiring. A great read as I am new to homeschooling, unschooling, and intentional parenting.
1 person found this helpful
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- travis j bjork
- 16-07-2022
amazing book. must read for anyone with kids
This book made me feel so good,. Both in thinking about my mom talking about John Holt as a kid, and in making me think about my own 2yr old. It will undoubtedly make me a better parent as well.
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- scott cardon
- 16-03-2022
Love it
I loved the observations made by John Holt. It completely changed my perspective of how children learn. As a homeschooling mom, this has completely revolutionized my approach to my children’s education. I’ll admit it is a little dry, but seriously invaluable info!!
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- Anonymous User
- 26-08-2021
Deep insight into human learning
Loved this! it's a classic for a reason. Holt deeply cares for and respects children.
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- Noonesfield
- 08-03-2019
Children are born to learn
I am so thankful that many years ago I heard of John Holt. I home educated my four children and what a thrill and pleasure to watch them learn in exactly the way that John describes. This book is the perfect insight for people who want to find out how to best facilitate their children's learning and that is stepping back and letting them get on with it, turn off your teacher voice, answer what you are asked and be able to say: "Hmmm! I don't know. I will have to look that up." Show your child by your example that not knowing and finding out is normal.
5 people found this helpful
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- Emily D.
- 14-04-2021
Essential reading for anyone who spends time with children!
If you like children, spend time with them in any capacity and are interested in how to be useful to them in their healthy development and learning, you need to read this book. I wish I’d read it when I was much younger, before I even thought of having children. I feel like my children and any others I spent time with would have benefitted enormously. I’m using John Holt’s insights in my parenting now but can’t completely undo the damage caused by not knowing all of this when they were born.
1 person found this helpful
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- roksana
- 07-01-2019
loved every bit of this book.
i will listen to it again. it helped me to become better parent for my children
3 people found this helpful
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- carol mills
- 28-01-2022
wonderful
A wonderful, thought provoking reflection of John Holt's experiences and observations. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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- victoria cannon
- 08-02-2021
Eye opening
This was my first book on audible and I highly recommend it. Kids are inquisitive naturally and we should nurture that.
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- Lina
- 01-11-2020
A must read book about children development
One of the best books I've ever read about how children learn and grow!
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