GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING
had a very nice response. A number of readers have written very understand ing, supportive, and encouraging let ters, for which I am very grateful . I should perhaps make clear that almost all the lectures now cn my schedule are ones I agreed to do before I made my decision to get out of the lecture business. Let me say once again that that decision is very firm, and one I am not likely to change in any foreseeable future. --- John Holt
44
JOHN HOLT' S COMING SC HEDUL E
The March 25, 1985 issue of News week carried a one-column story about nomeschooling. It was generally accu rate and favorable, and correctly gave the impression that the movement is growing in size and legitimacy. My one objection to the story is that they call me "the Guru" of the home schooling movement. This is in some important ways mistaken and mislead ing. I won't pretend that I have not been an important voice in the home schooling movement, but the movement is by no means made up of Holt followers; many homsechoolers do not think of me as a good guy, and many have never heard of me at all. This is all to the good. The whole strength of the movement and the rea son why it has been such a remarkably effective instrument for social change is that it does not have a cen tralized leadership, and having none, is able to generate so much and so effective local leadership, people who learn not from some "guru" but from their own experience, and having learned, inform and support each other. Our January Open House was the largest we had ever 'had, and our March Open House was even larger. The office, which I sometimes feel has a little more space than we need, was absolutely bursting with children of all sizes, and their parents. A won derful occasion. Join us if you can . As you have probably noticed, after the title of each book or other item in our Book and Music list, there is a number which tells in which issue of GWS the item was de scribed and reviewed. This is fine for people who have (and ca'n lay hands on) all the back issues of GWS. But it occurred to us recently that many people who do not have all the back issues might like to read what we had to say about some book, etc. on our list, but did not want to spend the $2.50 for a single back issue in order to find out. So we have decided to institute a Book Review Reprint service. If you would like a copy of a review of some thing in our list, please send us: (1) the name of the book or item (2) 50¢ for the first review and 25~ for each additional review (3) a self-addressed stamped envelope . We hope this may better acquaint you with some of the books that were reviewed in GWS before you began sub scribing . In GWS #43 I said that I had decided that in the future I was go ing to do much less traveling and lec turing, either to homeschoolers or to other groups and organizations, feeling that I could most effectively work from Boston and through the medi um of GWS, and ceyond that needing more time for my private life and for music. From this announcement I have
~12, 1985: Ho lt Assoc. Open House-12nOlThurs . each mo., 6-8 PM). April 15 : Smithsonian American History Museum, Washingt o n D.C. 3 PM. Open to public. Contact Joan Liversage at Smithsonian. ~26-27: National Coalition of Alternatrve-Gommunity Schools con ference, Clonlara School, Ann Arbor MI . Contact Kathy Sutherland, 313 769-4515 . ~7-10: Sun Valley Music Camp, Sun VaITey 10. Contact James Salisbury, PO Box 2261. Twin Falls ID 83303; 208-734-6746. ~17-lR: Homesch oo l ers Jam boree, Lansing MI. Contact Carolyn Cordell, 2310 Bernard, Lansing ~I 48910 .
NOTES FROM DONNA Sad t o say, two farewells this month. First to leave was Ross Camp bell, who came to Bost on last year as volunteer and stayed as paid staff. We will miss his cheerful good hum or, his quick t yp ing (he easily mastered the word processor we use), and his music. Ross has gone back to Califor nia to live with friends and to help his father build an earth-sheltered home. In a few weeks, Kit Finn will be moving to Williamsburg, and I miss her help already. Kit, as a volun teer, had been coordinating our larg e mailings, doing all the many steps from making a schedule to delivering sacks to the post office . Her three daughters, Danette (6), Bridget (5), and Corie (3), livened up many a day in the office. Our pool of helper s seems to be dwindling, so let me put in a plea now for more volunteers . We ne ed peo ple both living close to the office and also far away (especially good typists who can get work back to us quickly) . Here's a result of many hours of volunteer work by Madalene Murphy (CT) - an index to GWS #3 1-40' It's very well done, and we have copies available for $l. (The index to #1-30 is also available for $2.50.) Mada lene doubts she can do the next index - who would like to take this on? The first person to offer to run the GWS TRAVEL DIRECTORY was Leigh Taylor, PO Box 3, Bergland MI 49910. If you would like other GWS families to come visit you, or would like a copy of the Cirec tory so you can visit others, send a SASE to Leigh. In GWS #37, we mentioned an arti cle called "Stress Effects on I .Q." by Bernard Brown and Lillian Rosen baum, available through the George town Medical Center. A reader says that they no longer send out the arti cle and it is important that she get a copy . Did someone send off for it? (We didn't . ) If so, can you send us the original or a good copy, so we can make further. copies?
I should clarify something I worded a bit loosely in the last GWS. The article by Nancy Wallace in Moth ering was about a stillbirth and-aIso twins who died within a day of being born. Ishmael and Vita a re well and happy! Sorry for any confusion. Kathleen Reilly in Connecticut wants readers t o know that ADAM compu ters arc expected to go on sale this spring for about $250. "We love our Adam and would recommend it very high ly as an excellent word processor for child r en or adults, " she says, "as well as a computer with many oth er uses as well. " Coleco , the manufactur er is discontinuing production; Honey well will service the machines . Two readers have asked us how they can get good, educational video cassette recordings. We have no idea. Are there any good sou r ces that loan, rent, or sell cheaply such tapes, especially to people who live far from cities? --- Donna Richoux WHAT A FRIE NDLY PROF SEES When Larry Arnoldsen of Brigham Young lJniversity sent his listing (or our "Speakers Bureau," he also wrote:
... I was asked a few years ago by John Holt if I would help parents 1n their ef(orts to be effective home educators. I answered in the a ffi rma tive and have since then been co~act ed by hundreds of such parents . I have also been invited to a number of their conferences . The first thing that has really been quite startling is the interest in "educational theory" displayed by these people. I have been working with "professional" educators for 20 years and am used to a general and widespread resistance to educational theory ... Participation by profession als in " professional development" has tyricall y been fo r one or more of the fo lowing reasons: (1) They have been required t o by their employer . (2) It will put them in a higher salary bracket. (3) They need something "quick and dirty" t o successfully con trol difficult students . I repeat, I ha ve never seen among professionals such interest either individually or collectively in fundamental questio n s as I have seen by parents. At a state confer ence on Home Schools attended by over 600 persons, I made such an observa tion which immediately brought the following re spo nse from the state Vice-president, "But don't you see, we lov e our children?" . .. This explan ation has seemed the only appropriate one . In reference to this deeper interest in educational theory dis played by homeschoolers there is also WHAT'S INSIDE - New WY Law: 2 --- Autism: 2 -- Court:-Z---- Pending legislation: 3 -- Other local news: 4 --- Famous unschoolers: 4 --- Norway: 5 --- JH/Misquotes: 5 --- Compul sory school age: 5 --- Tax cartoon: 5 --- Part time school: 6 --- Fingerprint/CA: 7 --- AK research: 7 --- Allergies: 8 --- Skeptical father: 9 --- Deaf: 9 --- Success: 9 --- Mari posa CA: 9 --- "L.D.": 10 --- Private school: 11 --- Bodine /D ipping into school: 11 --- Life at home: 11 --- JH/"Gocks" : 12 --- British study, school/home: 13 --- Young children: 14 --- JH/Gifted: 15 --- Hospital: 15-16 --Tests: 16-17 --- Chica go schools: 17 --- Teach er Certificates: 18 --- JH/Late readers: 18 --- JH/Writing: 19 --- Math: 19-20 --- JH/ Bank: 20 --- Memory: 20 --- Violin: 20 --Art: 20 --- Speakers: 21 --- Quadro construc tion kit: 22 --- Map puzzles: 23 --- Tapes: 23