⭐⭐⭐⭐ How Children Learn by Holt

Full Title	How Children Learn
Authors	John C. Holt
Year Published	1967
Date Read	June 15, 2025
Rating	4/5 stars
Retention	No Anki cards created

Continuing my recent deep dive into childhood learning, I picked up Holt’s book, my third read after Free to Learn and The Anxious Generation. I was immediately charmed by Holt’s approach. Unlike the more pedagogical tone of the other books, this reads more like a collection of diary entries. Holt presents simple, direct observations of children interacting with the world, followed by his own insightful reflections on what these moments can teach us.

What I particularly appreciated was Holt’s willingness to turn the lens on himself, applying the lessons he learned from children to his own life (even when his experiments were failures!) It added a layer of humility and relatability that is often missing from parenting literature.

While I think I’m ready for a break from this topic for a while, and would rank this third in my recent reading trio, How Children Learn was still a worthwhile read.

---

---