Evidence that Self-Directed Education Works

by Peter Gray

Theory is one thing; empirical evidence is another. Is it true that children can educate themselves well, without coercion or coaxing, when provided with a supportive environment and plenty of opportunity to play, explore, observe, and socialize? In this collection of essays, developmental psychologist Peter Gray presents evidence from a variety of sources that this indeed is true. One essay points out the amazing amount that little children learn before anyone attempts to teach them in any formal way. Another presents evidence from anthropological research that children in hunter-gatherer cultures educated themselves well, for life in their culture, with no formal instruction. This is followed by an essay summarizing the results of research showing that graduates of the Sudbury Valley School-a school designed for Self-Directed Education-have succeeded very well in higher education, jobs, and life in general. The final seven essays all deal with the results of research, conducted by Peter Gray and Gina Riley, into unschooling families and the lives of adults who grew up unschooled. "Unschooling" here is defined as the variety of homeschooling in which children are not subjected to an imposed curriculum but are allowed to follow their own interests and thereby educate themselves.

152 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2020

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Reviews

[NEVEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic short book in which the author with such scientific elegancy and simplicity lays out the findings of one of his studies, and shows us with data and anecdotes how Self-Directed Education works.

This book would be helpful to all sorts of people.

People who have doubts about Self-Directed Education and want to genuinely research is there any scientific evidence that it will work for them or their children. But it is also for people who are already sold on Self-Directed Education, but they need more argument ammunition to answer to all the tiring and stupid questions from people ignorant about the topic.

I particularly liked the analysis of the few unschooled adults who said they are damaged because they were unschooled.

The only thing that I did not like about the book is that at some parts it was a bit too monotonous and tiring reading through all the unrelated answers from the survey.

[Erin O. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is helpful in answering some of the “where are they now?” questions that may be in your mind. I appreciated the many quotes and examples from Gray’s surveys demonstrating the ability of grown unschoolers to successfully and joyfully enter the ranks of adulthood.