Quotes from book
How Children Fail

How Children Fail
John Holt

How Children Fail is a non-fiction book by John Holt that was published in 1964 and republished in 1982 in a revised edition. It has sold over a million copies. In it, he cites personal teaching and research experiences that led him to the belief that traditional schooling does more harm than good to a child's ability and desire to truly learn.

“The true test of intelligence is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don't know what to do”

John Holt book How Children Fail

How Children Fail (1964).

“The idea of painless, non-threatening coercion is an illusion. Fear is the inseparable companion of coercion, and its inescapable consequence. If you think it your duty to make children do what you want, whether they will or not, then it follows inexorably that you must make them afraid of what will happen to them if they don’t do what you want.”

John Holt book How Children Fail

How Children Fail (1964).

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