Colonial School Rooms

 

What was the colonial schoolroom like? Google gives this answer: "Colonial schoolrooms were single-room buildings where all students were taught together. These sparse rooms utilized shared resources and focused largely on reading, writing and arithmetic, often through religious texts. Most teachers were men and members of the local church."

For children living in the 13 colonies, the availability of schools varied greatly by region and race. Most schools of the day catered to children of European settlers who could afford to contribute a fee to educate their children. Massachusetts  towns had "publik" schools in the sense that anyone who could afford the modest fee could attend. Massachusetts passed a law in 1642 that required all children to be educated (either in school or at home). This education included reading, religion and the law. 

For the Puritans, reading was a religious duty. They believed that the faithful could commune directly with God by reading the Bible. Hence, the building of schools outpaced all other types of buildings.

Reading, writing and basic arithmetic teachings were infused with a healthy dose of religious and moral instruction. The textbook of the day was The New England Primer, a pocket-sized volume with drawings and a rhyming alphabet of Puritan couplets:  "In Adam's fall, we sinned all." "Heaven to find the Bible to mind." 

QUESTION: How many ways were colonial schools like today's schools and how vastly do they differ???

(Source: www.history.com, "What School Was Like in the 13 Colonies," by Dave Roos, 3 September 2024)