In practice curriculum has historically been a hierarchy of skills and sequence models imposed on teachers and students. This has been frustrating for teachers, because it directed them to spend time covering specific topics rather than addressing the more meaningful and overall point of education: learning. Moreover, it has left the teacher with few decisions about what should happen in the classroom and it has entirely omitted the students.

This book is a true primer--a work to be read in preparation for further discussion of curriculum. The aim is to help teachers define some terms and consider the purposes of a curriculum so that the goal of effective learning is not lost.