The Bookshelf: Feb. 5, 2015

Trib+Edu is joining with respected books authority Kirkus Reviews to bring you select reviews of books of note in the field of public education. For more book reviews and recommendations, visit Kirkus.com. 

LOVING LEARNING: How Progressive Education Can Save America's Schools

by Tom Little, Katherine Ellison

One of the leaders of the progressive education movement reflects on ways to improve more than just standardized test scores … Little traveled around the country, visiting “progressive schools,” a loose moniker for schools that structure lessons and the direction of learning based on where the interests of the students take them. Emphasizing critical thinking, open communication and collaboration, and hands-on learning, the model works to prepare students to leave school capable of self-directed learning.

With the assistance of Pulitzer Prize winner Ellison, Little explores the different movements forming to protest the government-driven “testing mania,” noting that corporate interests have lobbied furiously to convince legislators that using standardized tests to measure student achievement and teacher efficacy has in fact hampered both. Little also writes about the accountability and rigor that critics claim progressive schools lack … Little’s enthusiasm and passion for the potential of progressive schools burn on every page and offer hope for a better way forward.

For full review, visit kirkus.com.