I was also surprised by the similarities in the Pacific NW at a bit later than that-- Piaget and ADA were brand-spankin' new when I was starting school.
I have often speculated that I attended K-12 during the veritable golden age of GT education in my state, which was considered quite progressive in that respect.
I had NO homework until junior high. 30 minutes of daily SSR was a standard feature in classrooms in grades 3-6. I look back and wonder "how did we all seem to learn so much, then?" Becuase we certainly weren't under the kind of content-cramming pressure that I see in elementary materials NOW. Much less focus on "work-product" and more on process then.
Maybe it was the Piaget. Moomin, thank you VERY much for that post. It tallies 110% with what I know from my mom's decades in primary and her continuing education (which she took very seriously).
