“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
When’s The Time For More Independence For A Child?
When’s The Time For More Independence For A Child?

An unschooling mom writes about that time when you learn you need to let go more than you wish: “More and more I’m aware that home is no longer enough, my interpretation of the world is no longer enough for him. He needs to move out into the wider world, meet people who aren’t me or connected to me, have his own experiences, and draw his own conclusions. …”

The Diminishing Relevance of a College Degree
The Diminishing Relevance of a College Degree

An ongoing issue for unschoolers and alternative school graduates is how some colleges and businesses have refused to admit or hire them due to their lack of a formal high school or college degree. Though there are ways around this, it is just easier for an employer to say “No” when they compare you to a person with a college degree and the same level of skill. But things are changing now …

Homeschooler Gets PhD at 17
Homeschooler Gets PhD at 17

While there have been many stories about gifted homeschoolers achieving academic success over the 40+ years I’ve been writing about homeschooling, two things leaped out to me from Ms. Tillman’s story: her desire to share her love of science and art with other young people, and her desire to “focus on who I am" as her next step.

The Mathematics of the Ordinary
The Mathematics of the Ordinary

“The important question for me, given my view of mathematics of the ordinary, is not how it can be taught, but how it can be lived. I don’t think we need to find special “math-speaking” tutors when it comes to the mathematics of the ordinary. Most young children are not interested in becoming specialists in mathematics. But it is in their nature, indeed, in practically everyone’s nature, to wonder about the patterns and regularities they observe in the world.”—Aaron Falbel

Exploiting Children
Exploiting Children

So sensitive are we to the possibility of child labor in the exploitative sense that we’ve made it difficult, and sometimes impossible, for children to work at all, even when they want or need to. The following piece of unpublished writing by John Holt may help clarify some of these issues.

New Additions to JohnHoltGWS.com
New Additions to JohnHoltGWS.com

Check out the new resource lists I added for homeschooling/unschooling support groups and learning materials for self-directed learners.

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