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 texts such as Noah Webster's Speller outlined specific knowledge to be imparted at particular ages. The superintendent of Chicago schools, William Harvey Wells, expanded on this by creating a systematic course of instruction for Chicago Public Schools, which he detailed in "A Graded Course of Instruction for Public Schools".