Booklist Learning

Learning

	Guterson, David - Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense. Touting the importance of the family, this book is written by a high school English teacher who, with his wife, homeschools his three sons. Thought provoking observations about how we learn and societal ideas about institutional education.
	Holt, John Caldwell - How Children Learn. John Holt was a school teacher and educational critic whose influential books continue to spark debate about school reform and the nature of learning. In How Children Learn, Holt makes a very convincing case against the use of force in education (compulsory education) and describes how the practice kills curiosity and interest in learning. The book reveals Holt's observations on childhood learning from babyhood to about 5th grade.
	Holt, John Caldwell - Teach Your Own. John Holt and Pat Farenga, who updated this classic in a March 2003 edition, demonstrate how ordinary parents can help children grow as social, active learners and suggest that replicating the institutional school environment at home wastes homeschooling benefits.
	Holt, John Caldwell - How Children Fail. If it is unclear how schools are failing our children, this books spells it out. It may remind you of your own painful childhood experiences in an institutional school setting, including: trying to please the teacher, the folly of memorization, the control teachers exert to assure conformity, and the "cook-bookery" approach to math, in which a series of steps are performed thoughtlessly to come up with the right answer. This book is an oldy, but a goody--unfortunately, it is still relevant.
	Holt, John - Learning All the Time. In Learning All the Time, Holt, a former teacher, shares his observations and thoughts on children's natural learning ability, and the actual stifling of learning that is inherent in an institutional education.
	Gatto, John Taylor - Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling. Several essays from speeches by Gatto about schooling versus education. NY State Teacher of the Year turned homeschool advocate. Short, easy-to-read.
	Hern, Matt - Deschooling Our Lives. An inspiring series of essays by great education thinkers of the past and present, including everyone from Grace Llewellyn, John Holt, and John Taylor Gatto to Tolstoy.
	Armstrong, Thomas - In Their Own Way. Discusses different learning and teaching styles. Useful when dealing with school officials and when beginning homeschooling.
	Kealoha, Anna - Trust the Children: A Manual and Activity Guide for Home Schooling and Alternative Learning. Kealoha emphasizes fostering a love of learning and self-motivation. This book is an excellent resource for homeschoolers.
	Klicka, Christopher - The Right Choice: The Incredible Failure of Public Education and The Rising Hope of Homeschooling. Written by an HSLDA lawyer, this book has some empowering information for Christian families choosing this path.
	Schank, Roger - Coloring Outside the Lines. Schank examines how institutional schooling sucks the life out of learning and challenges parents to re-examine their ideas of long-held education belief systems.
	Ray, Brian D. - Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling: Facts and Stats on the Benefits of Homeschool 2002-2003. Documents the phenomenal successes achieved by thousands of homeschooling families, including life after homeschooling. Got a doubting Thomas in the family? Give him or her this compact little jewel. Also perfect for the media and legislators. Look for the 2003-2004 edition in April 2003.

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