What is John Holt (educator)?
{{about|the educator|the singer|John Holt (singer)}} {{Infobox person | name = John Holt | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1923|04|14}} | birth_place = [[New York City]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|1985|9|14|1923|04|14}} | death_place = [[Boston]] | nationality = [[Americans|American]] | occupation = Author, educator}} '''John Caldwell Holt''' was an American [[educator]] and [[author]]. He supported [[homeschooling]] and [[unschooling]].<ref>Farenga P. 1999. ''John Holt and the origins of contemporary homeschooling''. Paths of learning: options for families and communities.</ref> == Homeschooling to deschooling == Holt became disappointed with the United States school system after several years of working in it. He became convinced that improving the school system was not possible, and began to support homeschooling. Holt believed that children did not need to be pressured into learning. They would learn naturally if they had a variety of resources, and could follow their own interests. Holt's ''Growing Without Schooling'', founded in 1977, was the nation's first home education newsletter. Holt, in his 1964 best-seller ''How Children Fail'' (2nd ed 1982), said schooling does more harm than good to a child's desire to truly learn.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eklavya.org/bookrev.htm |title=Book Reviews |access-date=2007-11-14 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071007082721/http://www.eklavya.org/bookrev.htm |archive-date = 2007-10-07}}</ref> The book was followed by ''How Children Learn'', which explained his positive ideas (1967, 2nd ed 1983. Holt's sole book on homeschooling, ''Teach Your Own'', was published in 1981. It was revised by his colleague Patrick Farenga and republished in 2003.<ref>Holt J. & Farenga, Patrick 2003. ''Teach your own: the John Holt book of homeschooling''. Perseus Books and Da Capo Press.</ref> In his 1974 book, ''Escape from Childhood: the needs and rights of children'', Holt said that children should have