According to E. D. Hirsch, the best research on how people learn suggests that students need broad general knowledge as well as an ability to learn before they can acquire a deeper understanding of any discipline. The literature professor, author of Cultural Literacy, and developer of the rigorous Core Knowledge curriculum thus cautions us to avoid the "sloganized polarity between deep understanding and the rote learning of mere facts" that often characterizes education debates. Rather, he explains, one cannot exist without the other. Schools should teach an array of subjects for broad, general knowledge, and a moderate number of specific examples in depth as part of a sequenced curriculum that students at each level must master before moving on to the next. But not just any subjects will do; those selected ought to have "the greatest potential for developing general competence and narrowing the test-score gap among student populations," Hirsch argues. For more see "Seeking Breadth and Depth in the Curriculum," by E. D. Hirsch Jr., Educational Leadership, October 2001. (not available online)
