How do school kids in Japan learn the language?

[Athefre]

Does anyone here know what the order is that they learn their language in school. I would like detailed answers if you can. What (I believe) is commonly told by forum members to beginner non-native speakers is to:

1. Learn Hiragana
2. Learn Katakana
3. Grammar
4. Kanji

Are those the same steps kids learn in school? I do realize that they have an advantage of constantly being around people that know the language so they are getting a mix of things all at once.

[richvh]

They learn hiragana and katakana in first grade, and start learning kanji that same year. They continue to learn kanji throughout school.

As for grammar... except for the various types of keigo, they attained an instinctive grasp of most grammar as they learned to talk, just as you picked up an instinctive grasp of English (or whatever your native language is) grammar without ever studying it.

[chikara]

..... they attained an instinctive grasp of most grammar as they learned to talk, just as you picked up an instinctive grasp of English (or whatever your native language is) grammar without ever studying it.

A more appropriate question would probably be "How do school kids in Japan learn to read and write?"

I was taught grammar in school but grammar hasn't been taught in schools in this country for 30 years. There are plans to re-introduce the teaching of grammar but the problem is that a large percentage of current teachers were never taught grammar themselves.