Review: Free to Learn by Peter Gray

This book is changing my life, and the lives of my children, and my friends and their children.

I know I usually share fiction books for kids to read. That's because nonfiction books for adults are boring. I tried to read another unschooling book, one by John Holt that comes highly recommended, and maybe I'm ADHD or something but I never bothered to finish it (I did feel it would have appealed to me better when I first had kids). Peter Gray's writing speaks to me on a deeper level. I originally found out about him through his articles at Psychology Today. The articles are short, to-the-point, and employ research material as back-up. His views may seem out there--but that's the point! Compared to his articles, his book Free to Learn gives a great framework for play is so important.

Have you ever heard of the Sudbury Valley School? You will if you read this book. It's an amazing school where the kids are supervised but not directed by adults. There is no curriculum, yet the kids do more than learn there--they flourish. If part of you is asking, "But what about math?" or anything like that, then you need to read this book. As a society we do not give our kids enough credit, and I believe we often operate out of a parental drive misdirected by fear and the chains of recent traditions. Forget everything you know about "school" and "learning" and put more trust in childrens' natural drive to learn and to adapt to society.

I thought I was an "unschooler" before (a homeschooling/learning/life philosophy). This book helped me pin down what I have been observing and "feeling" was correct in my own life by offering concrete research and an overall framework for understanding natural learning. Plenty of unschoolers who have "been there," with children that have now graduated and gone on to college, have motivated me to research unschooling, and here Peter Gray knits it all together in a convenient, engaging package in Free to Learn.

I loved this book so much that I looked for other books by him, and ended up purchasing books from the Sudbury Valley School like Free at Last. It can be difficult to find these books for a good price on Amazon, so you'll want to compare with the school's online shopping cart here, where there is also a greater selection of books.

Peter Gray also gives speeches. I'm missing one tomorrow night because my kids have been sick. You can find him on Facebook here. He is a research professor at Boston College. You can also find articles by him at KindredMedia.

Free to Learn by Peter Gray is a book I'm happy to have on my shelf, for my own reference, and to share with others!

I actually read a non-fiction book all the way through. That says something, ya'll.

Egg Hunt: Math and Life Science

Every year we do an Easter egg scavenger hunt. Last year we had a blast doing two for our local homeschool group: Life Science and Math. The students answered questions and then went down the trail to find eggs with labels that matched the answers.

Tip - I find that washi tape works best. We had so many participants that I ran out of washi tape!

It's ten eggs per student, so we ended up preparing a lot of eggs. It was so worth it!

Since it was so successful, I've uploaded the activity to my TPT store for you to print out at home or for your classroom. Math covers up to early multiplication and Life Science includes riddles like "What mammal has wings and uses echolocation to find their food?"

Easter is April 1st this year. Find the STEM Egg Scavenger Hunt on TeachersPayTeachers now to get a head start:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Plastic-Egg-Scavenger-Hunt-STEM-3121248

And if you're local, contact me to learn about the hunt we run.

Happy hunting!

Book Release: Charlie Cat Draws His Personal Bubble on Easter

Charlie Cat's Easter book is here!

Find Charlie Cat Draws His Personal Bubble on Easter on Amazon and Goodreads!

Susie Dog is so excited to hunt Easter Eggs, she forgets to look where she is going! When Susie Dog spills Charlie Cat's Easter basket, Charlie Cat teaches Susie Dog about personal space.

Take a peek inside:

Charlie Cat picture book series explores challenging social situations through rhyme and fun illustrations. For ages 0-8 and special needs.

Join our author mailing list for free printables you can use at home or in the classroom.

Charlie Cat Draws His Personal Bubble on Easter

Susie Dog is so excited to hunt Easter Eggs, she forgets to look where she is going! When Susie Dog spills Charlie Cat's Easter basket, Charlie Cat teaches Susie Dog about personal space.

Charlie Cat Tries Earmuffs on Independence Day

When Momma Cat offers Charlie and Susie earmuffs for the loud fireworks, Susie Dog doesn’t need hers, but a new friend does! Learn about hearing protection and individual preferences in this rhyming picture book for ages 0-8 & special needs.

Charlie Cat Does NOT Like Halloween

Charlie Cat does not like scary monsters and ghosts. Charlie's friend Susie Dog loves to dress up for Halloween. When Susie Dog scares Charlie Cat, Charlie uses his strong voice to tell her STOP. Find out how these two friends get along on Halloween.

Charlie Cat Takes a Break on Thanksgiving

Charlie cat loves Thanksgiving, but when noisy guests arrive, Charlie needs a quiet room. Find out how Momma Cat helps Charlie enjoy Thanksgiving.

Charlie Cat Keeps His Paws Off at Christmas

Waiting to decorate the family Christmas tree is hard! Momma Cat helps Charlie Cat learn how to tell when he should keep his paws to himself, and Charlie is happy to find something he can play with safely.