In colonial times, not all children went to school.  Girls and boys went to Dame School when they were little.  Girls learned to read the Bible and write their name.  Once girls learned to read, they stopped going to school.  Then they were taught at home by their mothers.  They learned cooking, sewing and how to run a house.  Rich girls learned to draw, embroider (fancy sewing), play an instrument and dance.
Boys learned more than girls and went to school longer.  Farm children learned to read and write and do a little arithmetic.  Some boys went to school longer and some went onto college.  Rich families sent their sons to study in England or they hired a school master to teach their children at home.       I would not like to live back then because I couldn't go to fourth grade.  I would be doing something at home since I am a girl.
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