Who is John Holt and How Did He Change Education?

John Holt was an American author and educational activist born in 1923 and died in 1985. He is considered one of the main founders of the alternative education movement in the United States. Holt's basic idea was that education should be more flexible and suitable for children's needs, rather than being merely a transfer of information from teachers to students. For this reason, Holt wrote many books that encourage the development of new teaching methods focused on the child and meeting their needs, such as his book "How Children Fail" and "How Children Learn". Holt's influence on the alternative education movement continues today, as he is considered one of the key figures who contributed to changing people's views on education and children's learning methods.

Several basic ideas and educational principles that John Holt advocated can be mentioned, including:

1- Learning should be enjoyable and satisfying for the child, and there should be greater freedom in educational choices.

2- Children are individuals in their own right and should be treated with respect and appreciation.

3- Learning happens everywhere, and children can learn from the outside world better than formal education in classrooms.

4- Formal education encourages exams and academic achievement, while free education should encourage critical and analytical thinking.

5- Education should be more flexible so that each child's needs are met and suited to their mental and cognitive level.

6- Children should learn based on their individual experiences and interests, and information should not be imposed on them.

7- Education should focus on basic skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic, rather than focusing on memorization and rote learning.

8- Education should be collaborative and participatory, and students should be encouraged to cooperate and participate in teamwork.

9- Education should promote children's independence, responsibility, and self-thinking.

10- Education should be comprehensive and include aspects of practical and social life, not limited to theories and scientific knowledge.

We can expand on John Holt's ideas as follows:

11- Education should focus on developing basic life skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, and decision-making, as these skills are the foundation for children's success in society.

12- A safe and comfortable learning environment should be provided for children, where they feel comfortable and confident, which helps motivate them to learn and develop.

13- Children should be encouraged to learn from mistakes and failed experiences, and not fear failure, so they can benefit from these experiences and improve their performance.

14- Learning should be fun and exciting, and children should be encouraged to enjoy the learning process and enhance curiosity and discovery.

15- Children should be encouraged toward self-learning and self-direction, where the ability for self-thinking and making independent decisions is enhanced.

16- A learning environment should be provided that stimulates children's creativity and innovation, encouraging them to think outside the box.

17- More time should be allocated for children to play and interact with each other, as play is considered an essential part of the learning process.

18- Children should be encouraged to listen and learn from others, as children can learn from others' experiences and different trials.

19- Learning should be multidimensional and diverse, including various aspects of life and culture.

20- Opportunities should be provided for children to learn outside classrooms, where they can experience the outside world and apply what they've learned in a real-life environment.

21- Children should be encouraged toward critical and analytical thinking, training them to think logically and distinguish between confirmed and unconfirmed information.

22- Opportunities should be provided for children to learn through practical and experimental activities, where they can benefit from their personal experiences and apply what they've learned in reality.

23- A diverse and comprehensive learning environment should be provided, where children have opportunities to learn many different subjects including arts, languages, mathematics, science, and history.

24- Opportunities should be provided for children to learn foreign languages, as these languages help them communicate with the outside world and understand different cultures and customs.

25- Children should be encouraged toward innovative thinking and finding creative solutions to different problems, by providing a learning environment that encourages innovation and presents various challenges.

26- Opportunities should be provided for children to learn from error and failure, encouraging them to continue trying and learning from the mistakes they make.

27- Children should be encouraged toward exploration, experimentation, and developing curiosity, by providing a learning environment that encourages discovery and experimentation with tools like /amal.