What Do I Do Monday?

$21.95

REPRINTED IN PAPERBACK IN 2025!

When teachers listened to Holt's talks, or wrote him letters as hundreds did, invariably they would say something like: "I understand what you're saying, but what can I do about this in my own classroom? What do I do on Monday?"

This book is a rich harvest of possibilities. It is an encouraging book, a book that says "there are so many things we can do. Some will seem easy, some will seem harder; do what feels possible to you, and then try something else."

Purchase the new paperback here.

For more information about the book, read this blog post.

REPRINTED IN PAPERBACK IN 2025!

When teachers listened to Holt's talks, or wrote him letters as hundreds did, invariably they would say something like: "I understand what you're saying, but what can I do about this in my own classroom? What do I do on Monday?"

This book is a rich harvest of possibilities. It is an encouraging book, a book that says "there are so many things we can do. Some will seem easy, some will seem harder; do what feels possible to you, and then try something else."

Purchase the new paperback here.

For more information about the book, read this blog post.

 

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  • (Dutton, 1970, Heinemann, 1995. Currently out of print, 2013.)

    Selection:

    "How do we make available to children the experience of writing, putting down on paper some of the real thoughts and feelings they have inside? One thing we must not do. We must not treat writing as a "skill," something that can be exercised all by itself. As Wendell Johnson put it, 'You can't write writing." We cannot teach children "the skill of writing" in a vacuum of ideas and feelings, by having them write exercises or essays that we think are good for them, and then expect them to take the "skill" and being to use it to write something important. They can only learn to write well by trying to write, for themselves, or other people the want to reach, what they feel is important. It is not much help to say, "Write about anything you want." This freedom of choice is essential for children, but it may not help them much if they have no idea what the possible choices are. And it won't help at all if the writing they have already done in school has made them feel that all writing is painful and dull or that they can't do it."