The Schools Our Children Deserve

In this provocative and well-researched book, Alfie Kohn builds a powerful argument against “teaching to the test” in favor of more child-centered curriculums to raise lifelong learners.

Drawing on stories from real classrooms and extensive research, Kohn shows parents, educators, and others how schools can help students explore ideas rather than just fill them with forgettable facts and prepare them for standardized tests. Here, at last, is a book that challenges the two dominant forces in American education: an aggressive nostalgia for traditional teaching (“If it was bad enough for me, it’s bad enough for my kids”) and a heavy-handed push for “tougher standards.”

In this essential guide to education reform, Kohn dismantles these failed approaches and offers a new vision for the schools our children deserve:

• Teaching for Understanding: Move beyond "back to basics" drills and discover how to help students explore ideas, not just memorize forgettable facts.
• Beyond Standardized Tests: See the evidence against high-stakes testing and learn about more meaningful, authentic ways to assess what students are actually learning.
• Rethinking Motivation: Uncover why the push for "tougher standards" and a focus on grades often backfires, and learn how to foster a genuine, lifelong love of learning.
• Constructivist Classrooms: Based on extensive research and stories from real classrooms, learn how child-centered curriculums empower students to become critical, engaged thinkers.