Colonial Education

Education was important to the Puritans, because they wanted their children to be able to read the Bible. Some families believed that only boys should be educated, but eventually girls were included, too. Many children learned reading, writing, and simple arithmetic at home. Later, schools were established so groups of children could learn together. There was even a law passed in Massachusetts that required all towns with one hundred families or more to set up a public school.

School in colonial days was quite different from school today. Early schoolbooks and classes were not much like what students have now. Puritan children used hornbooks. Because books and paper were hard to obtain, much of the teaching was done by having the children chant their lessons out loud. They might recite religious sayings or rules for good manners.

Make up your own chant or verse to learn something you are studying in school. This might relate to math, spelling, or any other area. If you would like to make a tape of your chant, your teacher would enjoy hearing it. Otherwise, just write it down.