What to Learn

A Framework for Life, Work and Learning

What do young people really need to learn in order to lead a good life?

Most conversations about education begin with a curriculum - a predetermined list of subjects and knowledge that young people are expected to learn.

What to Learn starts somewhere different.

Written by Ian Cunningham, this book explores what may actually be useful for young people to learn if we want to prepare them not simply to pass exams, but to navigate work, relationships, communities and life.

At its heart is the principle that learning belongs to the learner. Young people can be supported to think about what matters to them, what they want from their future and the learning that may help them get there.

What's inside

You'll explore:

• The basic needs for learning

• Why learning doesn't have to begin with the curriculum

• First, second and third-person learning

• Learning for the world of work

• The role parents and other adults can play

• How to approach goal setting

• The Five Questions Model

• How young people can take greater ownership of their learning

The book draws on research and decades of practical experience of Self Managed Learning, challenging some conventional assumptions about education while offering a framework that can be used in real life.

Who is it for?

What to Learn is written for parents, mentors and other adults supporting young people in their learning.

It will be particularly useful for those interested in alternatives to a purely curriculum-led approach and anyone asking bigger questions about what education is ultimately for.

The Self Managed Learning Series

This is Book 2 of the three-part Self Managed Learning Series.

Book 1 introduces the foundations of Self Managed Learning and the adult's role in supporting it. This book moves to the next question: what is worth learning?

Book 3 completes the series by exploring how to learn – providing a practical guide to different learning methods and approaches.

Each book can be read independently, or you can follow the complete series.

Want all three? Buy the Complete Self Managed Learning Series bundle and save compared with purchasing the books individually.