Why isn’t there a separate section in the Core Knowledge Sequence for Foreign Languages?
The purpose of the Core Knowledge Sequence is to build children’s background knowledge so that they have a large enough vocabulary and a broad enough cultural background to comprehend what they read. Understanding the world around us requires a broad knowledge of culture, including historical, literary, and scientific references. Building this background is the particular focus of Core Knowledge, but we encourage schools to include other areas of study. Foreign language study in particular can be very valuable and starting it early has been proven to be advantageous. In fact, many Core Knowledge schools teach second languages to elementary aged children. We have not, however, added a “second language sequence,” because, among other things, there would have to be many sequences. The preference of which languages to offer varies from place to place and school to school. While we encourage schools to add elements like foreign languages, we also encourage them not to drop elements from the
Related Questions
- Does the explicit specification of skills and competencies in the Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence mean that a teacher-directed approach to instruction is best? What about discovery learning and child-initiated activities?
- Why isn’t there a separate section in the Core Knowledge Sequence for special areas such as Physical Education, Foreign Language, Technology, or Drama?
- What kind of preschool settings can use the Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence? What about half day programs?
