See, for example two of the comments:
What do you mean by “earlier”? Up here, they’re taught starting in pre-school, and a lot of kids enter pre-school already knowing 1-10, and basic concepts of science (baby bear comes from a mommy bear etc.). Which mathematical and scientific concepts do you start with, and when?

and

Our kids have been studying science since preschool, too. These days, kindergarten is the new first grade, first grade is the new second grade, etc. You’re practically expected to enter kindergarten as a reader. They do accelerated math in second grade, which is basically third-grade math in second grade.

two very contrasting examples of what ‘early’ education is, the way I read them.

teaching things earlier may have caused my daughter to have more of an interest in math earlier. She hated the subject until she got to fractions, and didn’t mind the algebra lesson she recently got in 5th grade. However, timing how fast she can write the answers to addition and subtraction questions? She hated it.

Frankly earlier learning, so long as it is in a manner the children find interesting could be beneficial. Earlier learning doesn’t necessarily mean more work, however. Differentiated learning however, is the true way to go. Unfortunately, it’s typically only the schools with Gifted Education programs that provide that and only to their ’smart’ students.

But then, why anyone would listen to him is beyond me.

I believe that no one, no matter how expert, is omniscient enough to know absolutely where anyone will be 10, 20 or 30 years hence. It might be me, but having enriched and leisure activities, apart from such as watching TV, that one enjoys when not doing the “vocational” or basic survival stuff, also counts as “functional”. (See, “Rebecca” and “A Walking Grove” from ” The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales”)

To discount those without serious consideration could raise some questions about person-centered programming and social validity.

As far as Mr. Gingrich, I can see some point in giving young people opportunities for active learning, and maybe even practical experience as part of the enterprise of education, although my personal bugaboo is with very young children perhaps being goaded too early into academics (others might disagree with that one).

I won’t comment further except to wonder what he did between 13-19, and what he thought of his own adolescence?

Some simple physics such as

F=ma, how simple machines work.

It seems to me that not much happens between 3rd and 6th grade, but that was long, long ago for me.

Children weren’t children for a longer period of time- they were forced to become adults earlier. Once the idea of childhood changed and they were no longer forced to act like miniature adults, go to work, or hold other adult responsibilities, then the idea of adolescence began to evolve.

Mayfly, I’m curious as to what your sources are to say that teaching mathematics and scientific concepts could be taught earlier. What do you mean by “earlier”? Up here, they’re taught starting in pre-school, and a lot of kids enter pre-school already knowing 1-10, and basic concepts of science (baby bear comes from a mommy bear etc.). Which mathematical and scientific concepts do you start with, and when?

Numbers 1: 2-3

“Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel after their families by the house of their fathers, with the numbers of their names, every male by their polls. From 20 years old and upwards, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel; thou Aaron shall number them by their armies.”

So the Israelites at the time of Moses built their armies from men 20 years of age and older. This gives pause to the claim that full adulthood past adolescence was a 19th century concept.

He is right in stating mathematical and scientific concepts could be taught much earlier than they are.

I don’t see how this can be seen as an effort to grow Republicans. Youths tend to be liberal and giving them more responsibility should tilt things to the left.

He’s trying to come up with an answer to things such as the amount of crime in the country so much of which is committed by adolescents by doing away with adolescence. I don’t see how one puts such an idea into practice.