I am big fan of John Hot since I read his books, How Children Learn and How Children Fail. He is one of the pinoneer for Unschooling and Homeschooling. Here I was able to get whole 58 minutes of the Phil Donahue show where he appeared in 1981, with homeschooling. In 1981, homeschooling certainly was not as accepted as it is now as it is evident from the show and people conversation. Full show and commentary as found currently on you tube.
John Holt’s book TEACH OUR OWN had just been printed in 1981, when Holt joined two homeschooling families on live, national television to address strong opinions from a restive audience about homeschooling and schooling in general, moderated by Phil Donahue.
Read John Holt’s Books:
- Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book Of Homeschooling
- How Children Learn (Classics in Child Development)
- How Children Fail (Classics in Child Development)
- Learning All The Time
John Holt appeared on The Donahue Show once before, a year or two earlier, speaking about Growing Without Schooling (GWS), a magazine Holt launched in 1977 to promote self-directed learning. That appearance, which I have never seen, helped put GWS on the radar of parents who were dissatisfied with their school options: the Holt office was flooded with mail for over two weeks from people seeking homeschooling information after the show aired. When John came out with his book about homeschooling, TEACH YOUR OWN, he was asked back on the program—this is what is recorded here. The families who join John are the Kinmonts from Utah and the Van Daam’s from Rhode Island.
John Holt Discuss Homeschooling On Phil Donahue Show
What did you think? Did you like it? Aren’t you glad we are homeschooling now and not in 1981.