Going to school in 1776 by John J. Loeper

This short book outlines the various types of school buildings, methods of teachings and books used during the age of the Revolutionary War.   Using tween age children as examples, Mr. Loeper describes things like dame schools, college life at 16, one room school houses and tutors.  

But not all learning was done in a school setting.  Some children learned at home, either with a tutor hired by Dad or with Mom and Dad.  Some families lived so far from town that the children could not attend school, making their only education possible from their parents.   More important things than reading, writing and arithmetic were learned at home as well.

While not a book a tween would generally read this book for pleasure it is definitely an interesting book to read.  It definitely adds flavor to a unit on the Revolutionary War or daily life during the 18th century. 

The only artwork in the book are wood cut replicas which add to the old time flavor along with providing an example of what children during the timeframe saw during their studies.

Age range: 8 to 12

Loeper, J. J. (1973). Going to school in 1776 . New York: Atheneum.