Children learn calligraphy and Chinese painting, and teachers always start with pencils. Is this correct?

I study art, and each teacher teaches in a different way. If I am a beginner, like a gouache teacher, I always ask my students to draw a rough outline first, which is helpful to finalize the design. To a certain extent, the teacher will let her draw directly, which is good for beginners, but to a certain extent, I can't do this and I can't rely on it.