Brazil kids to be taught Portuguese and Math earlier in school life

Children all across Brazil are to be taught Portuguese and Mathematics earlier on in their school life. By the second grade in elementary school, usually at the age of seven, kids are expected to be fully capable of reading and writing.

Also included are statistics and probability. The contents have been set forth by the Ministry of Education in the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC).

For childhood education, with children aged up to five, the BNCC stipulates the development of “speaking and writing skills.” Contents are introduced gradually. Nurseries, for instance, must ensure that children one year and six months old know when they are being called by their names and show interest when hearing poems and songs.

At the age of seven, in the second grade of elementary school, teachers must make sure students can write notes and letters, both in print and online, in e-mails and messages on social networks. Kids are also expected to read short texts autonomously and fluently, both silently and aloud.

Mathematics should also be present from an early age. By seven, students will have been exposed to probability and statistics. Kids will be capable of knowing, for instance, how to collect, classify and organize data in simple tables and in column graphs, in addition to rating everyday events as little or very likely, unlikely, or impossible.

Implementation

The National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) will be adopted and provide the guidelines for both private and public schools. As for the latter, state, municipal and federal schools will have to determine how the skills from the BNCC will be developed in their own classrooms.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira