For example, the author claims the only way to treat ADHD is medication and this is entirely a racket pushed by drug companies, whereas the medical recommendations for first line ADHD treatment are all lifestyle adjustments and skills. I read all the books which argued for a tightly regimented, highly controlling approach to education, to see what their arguments were. It is going to be about the psychology of self-directed education, it couldn’t be much more niche than that. Alan Thomas, Harriet Pattison, Peter Gray, Gina Riley, Rebecca English, Blake Boles, Pat Farenga – to my surprise most of them said yes, and I spent an hour by Zoom talking to them and then many hours transcribing what they said (I did not yet know about transcription software).

We met to discuss it in Feb 2020, in a time when there were rumours about lockdown in Italy and a strange virus. As a father of two young children, I read this book and immediately changed my behaviour towards them. We are experiencing delays with deliveries to many countries, but in most cases local services have now resumed. Many people assume that the most stressful jobs are the ones at the top, the ones where you have the power to determine the future of thousands of employees, or to steer a company away from bankruptcy. I read every book about education and parenting I could lay my hands on to see how they structured their ideas.You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. Why settle for diminishing the human spirit and minimal competencies when our wonderful, unique children and young people can take control of their own lives and learning.

Whether you are an educator or a parent, this book highlights not only the damage we are doing to children in the name of educating them, but also how things can be done differently. Naomi expertly guides you through the wide world of learning, motivation, child behaviour, parenting culture, alternative schools and home education. Sometimes, there is a requirement to just do the job at hand in the same way as everyone else and to very precise requirements. It's opening our eyes and broadening our understanding of how kids learn and behave and the outdated systems in our society.Publication dates are subject to change (although this is an extremely uncommon occurrence overall). Children can - and do - take charge of their own learning and, with the right adult support, experience real education as opposed to narrow, test-driven schooling. I read the books which claimed that the problem in education today is that we don’t teach children enough facts, and the books which argue that children just need to be kept under control better.

Her writing has featured in The Psychologist , Tipping Points , The Green Parent , SEN Magazine , Juno and more. It includes interviews with influential thinkers in the field of self-directed education and examples from families alongside practical advice.Most adults would refuse to tolerate this, particularly with no pay, but we expect children to manage it for their entire childhood. With its easy-going approach, everyday language and homely examples it will surprise many a reader how deeply we are asked to question the current orthodoxies of education and confront the accepted canons of modern childhood. She is the mother of two and the author of several books on psychology, education and mental health. It feels even more desperately important since families have been expected to recreate school at home during lockdown which for most has been traumatic and near impossible. I so appreciate the work she put into compiling the information so that it’s not just opinion but full of information that’s so helpful in understanding unschooling.

If you missed out the occasional piece of fruit or sometimes got your satsumas the wrong way round, not a chance. This essential guide will give you an understanding of why self-directed education makes sense, how it works, and what to do to put it into action yourself. However, this book has clearly demonstrated the extent to which the system conflicts with basic human behaviour and the way we learn.Faces came and went, and we only got to know each other if, by chance, we were sent on our break at the same time. Change is necessary and urgent - schooling is not fit for purpose and there are working exemplars of another way. It's also shone a light on the fear and conditioning which keeps alternative education (with a small 'a') niche, and I sincerely hope that it fuels the current groundswell for change. When Greta started to act, starting a school strike which spread around the world, she started being able to eat and live again. Naomi Fisher draws on her extensive psychological knowledge, as well as her experience as a mother of two children, to show that there is an alternative to the damaging effects of current educational practice.