Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More SelfReliant, and Better Students for Li

A leading expert in childhood development makes the case for why selfdirected learning unschooling is the best way to get kids to learn.All kids love learning. Most dont love school. Thats a disconnect weve avoided discussinguntil this lightning bolt of a book. If youve ever wondered why your curious kid is turning into a sullen slug at school, Peter Grays Free to Learn has the answer. He also has the antidote. Lenore Skenazy, author of FreeRange KidsIn Free to Learn, developmental psychologist Peter Gray argues that in order to foster children who will thrive in todays constantly changing world, we must entrust them to steer their own learning and development. Drawing on evidence from anthropology, psychology, and history, he demonstrates that free play is the primary means by which children learn to control their lives, solve problems, get along with peers, and become emotionally resilient. A brave, counterintuitive proposal for freeing our children from the shackles of the curiositykilling institution we call school, Free to Learn suggests that its time to stop asking whats wrong with our children, and start asking whats wrong with the system. It shows how we can actboth as parents and as members of societyto improve childrens lives and to promote their happiness and learning.