Growing Without Schooling

Founded in 1977 by John Holt, Growing Without Schooling (GWS) was the first magazine published about homeschooling, unschooling, and learning outside of school. After 24 years of continuous publication, GWS closed in 2001.

As you can see, John packed every inch of each page with information, reflecting his fondness for low-cost publishing and distribution techniques. Of course, this was also a matter of survival since homeschooling was not widely known in the late seventies and self-publishing was not nearly as sophisticated then as it is now with personal computers. One can see how GWS grew and changed over the years since John died, and how our attempts to increase circulation, subscriptions, and awareness worked or failed. Our book catalog and publications, speaking engagements, and consulting work all contributed to keep GWS afloat.

However, the Internet's free information and support undercut the paid subscription model for GWS; big box bookstores and Amazon made many independent booksellers and publishers, such as HoltGWS, close; and, as unschooling grew in numbers, fractures among unschoolers became more pronounced—some felt GWS was becoming "too organized" (as one former subscriber informed me). All these factors, plus the personal toll of making a payroll and running a small business (unlike many home- and unschooling businesses, HoltGWS was never owned and operated by a single family or funded by educational, corporate or religious interests)—made GWS difficult for us to keep operating.

I hope you will be inspired to help children learn in their own ways by reading these issues, as thousands of people over the past 34 years have been inspired. Rather than listen to self-appointed experts tell you what unschooling is and how you must do it, I hope you will read these articles, read John Holt's books and all the others we published or recommended through John Holt's Bookstore Catalog (you'll see the catalog bound into many of the issues), so you can make unschooling work for you and your family in YOUR own way.

—Patrick Farenga, Publisher, Growing Without Schooling

Explore GWS:

Read all the issues of Growing Without Schooling online for free.

Frequently Asked Questions About Homeschooling/unschooling.

What is unschooling?

GWS Materials

GWS Conferences