“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.”

— John Holt

John Holt in a crowd of Navy officers, standing on the United States Submarine in the 1940s.
A young John Holt stands at a podium and addresses the audience.

An Introduction
To John Holt

John Caldwell Holt (April 14, 1923 – September 14, 1985) was an American author and educator, a proponent of homeschooling (specifically the unschooling approach), and a pioneer in youth rights.

One child, with her arms slung over two other children, pulls them into a hug as they share a cheeky grin.

Unschooling Children

Children are born learning—there's considerable proof they even learn to recognize voices while in the womb. No one must formally teach a healthy child to walk, talk, and socialize and no one thought to do so until modern times. Why mess with success?

Four children in a row wearing a colorful mix of pants and rain boots.

Growing Without Schooling

Founded in 1977 by John Holt, Growing Without Schooling (GWS) was the first magazine published about homeschooling, unschooling, and learning outside of school.

Explore Our Best Sellers

A young homeschooler sits at a desk and works on their homework.

Homeschooling &
Unschooling Videos

Pat Farenga's Blog

Pat's Blog
How Much Parental Direction?
How Much Parental Direction?

This is an eternal question for parents, but for many in the unschooling and alternative school communities it can be a very divisive topic. Madeline Murphy writes, “We have found that there is an ebb and flow to the amount of structure and to the amount of direction we provide in our children’s learning, but we are always involved.”

SCHOOL IS BAD FOR CHILDREN
SCHOOL IS BAD FOR CHILDREN

Almost every child on the first day he sets foot in a school building, is smarter, more curious, less afraid of what he doesn't know, better at finding and figuring things out, more confident, resourceful, persistent and independent than he will ever be again in his schooling—or, unless he is very unusual and very lucky, for the rest of his life.

No Formal Education? No Problem.
No Formal Education? No Problem.

Lidya Foxglove writes: “I was unschooled through most of my childhood and never went to college. I’ve gotten questions and sometimes pushback about it all my life but I think it helped me to my writing career as well as living intentionally.”

Lost and Found in Translation
Lost and Found in Translation

John Holt’s books are translated into over 40 languages. Here are three of the most recent ones, one from Italy and two from Russia. It’s not just English-speaking countries that desire to change how their children learn in school!

Child Likes Unschooling But Still Feels Left Out
Child Likes Unschooling But Still Feels Left Out

Unschooling isn’t and can’t be a solution for many of the problems of being young, or growing up in an anxious and confused world, or in a society that generally has no use for young people. But at least homeschooling doesn’t make those problems worse.

How Can Children Know What They Need To Learn?
How Can Children Know What They Need To Learn?

John Holt: “I have always said, but never with an example as eloquent and persuasive as this, that though the child may not know what he may need to know in ten years, he knows, and much better than anyone else, what he wants and needs to know next, in short, what his mind is ready and hungry for.”

A young girl, dressed as a scientist in a white coat and goggles, plays with a toy chemistry set.