Peter O. Gray

A well researched and compelling case for freedom and democracy in children's schooling. Gray argues that universal education is much more akin to compulsory education. In a modern progressive culture as our purports to be, compelling children to learn by locking them in an institution for significant portions of their day is abhorrent.

Gray has the optimistic view that in the future, we will view schools modelled after Sudbury Valley School as the norm, and look back on this era of forced show more schooling and distrustful parenting as an unpleasant historical moment.

Children are learning machines. But this book is not a manual on the operation for that machine. Rather, it is more of an investigation into the current tragedy of not using the machine to its fullest potential, causing our culture to be poorer because of this.

If you're thinking implementing un-schooling for your kids, this book is not a how to, but more of a why that you might use to convince the traditionalists in your social circle. show less

Really wanted to LOVE this. And I did love the chapters on the science of play and Sudbury Valley. Bonus points for the inspiring T1 story. The rest? Pretty much re-hash of stuff I knew already and nowhere near enough stuff on homeschooling/unschooling. Demerits for including Playborhood as an example of child-led play - the dad made his shy kid do this because it was "good for him" - there is very little that is self-directed about Mike Lanza's approach to play and what he deems "good for show more kids." I like Lanza's results (kind of), but his philosophy is radically different than what Peter Gray espouses - and, to me, that gave me a whiff of sloppy due diligence. show less

I plan on unschooling my children and this book reinforced all the wonderful reasons to do so. Coercive schooling is a death knell in children’s natural curiosity and drive to learn. Very well written and informative.

A quite reasonable and completely rational case is made to radically rethink how children are raised and formally "educated". A provocative book all parents and educators should read.