In the United States, textbooks such as Noah Webster's Speller promulgated specific knowledge to be taught to people at specific ages. Chicago superintendent William Harvey Wells expanded this approach by creating a course of instruction for Chicago Public Schools, which he codified in "A Graded Course of Instruction for Public Schools".
In the United States, educational materials such as Noah Webster's Speller prescribed what knowledge should be taught to individuals at specific ages. The superintendent of Chicago schools, William Harvey Wells, further developed this approach by creating a structured curriculum for Chicago Public Schools, which he documented in "A Graded Course of Instruction for Public Schools".