The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-02-08


portant words may thus be learned by a
young class, they meanwhile regarding il
only as relaxation, or pastime.
If you would teach Arithmetic with
success, observe these directions. Give
practical examples, rather than abstract
numbers. Render no assistance till 1t Is
absolutely necessary. Explain no diff
Guilty till it has been met, and unsuc-
cessfully grappled with, by the learner
Meeting in store with little girl who
had just commenced Arithmetic, she
pointed to some pencils, saying she bought
one of them yesterday. "How much do
they cost? she was asked She hesitated
moment, then replied, "1 gave him a
ten cent piece, and he gave me a three
cent piece and one cent, This answer
taught the necessity of bining the pro-
cesses in proposing questions to children,
and of making them practical. If you
speak to little class Of having so many
red, and so many yellow apples, when
they leave their home, of kind neigh
Dor adding certain number to their
store, of eating one, of losing two and
giving one apiece to James, Charles, and
Henry; how their eyes will brighten as they
follow you, and with what confidence will
they inform you how many they would still
have. Then these last may, in their imagi-
nations, be cut into halves or quarters, or
each apple exchanged for certain num-
Der of pears or peaches.
1t is an excellent plan to give sepa-
rate question to each mem Der of class
before any are solved, requiring each to
retain his question in the mind till the
solution is called for. When all are sup
piled with questions, require each one to
state his example and perform it. This
method makes recitation interesting, and
tends to strengthen the memory and pro-
duce clearness of ideas.
Allow children sometimes to propose
questions to each other, and though, like
one impulsive child, they may ask, "If a
flock of geese were flying over, and gun
ner should shoot nine of them, how many
would be left?" this will only lead them
to notice the conditions of a question moro
carefully.
Never fail to cultivate mental activity,
by proposing questions at the close of the
recitation, and allowing the one who first
gives correct answer, to 60 first from the
class,-as is now SO generally practised.-
Be sure to associate large numbers with
small ones. If trained Alright, scholar
may give the product of six multiplied by
thirty, as soon as six times three. Require
correctness, as well as rapidity. Allow
no guessing. A long list of numbers may
be written by the teacher upon the board,
added by him at the time of writing
them, and the answer retained. Scholars
may then 60 in turn to the board, passing
along as they add the numbers. If the
board be of considerable length, it will
afford amusement to see the active ones
passing by their slower neighbors, and
coming out first with their answers
These are carried to the teacher, who,
after all have added, reads the answers
aloud, naming those who have the true
answer. This method affords relaxation,
and cultivates rapidity and correctness of
calculation.
A little lad is ciphering in Subtraction
Yesterday he found difficulty in the
lower number being larger than the one
above it. He was shown how he could
take one of those tens, and change it to
units, just as a ten-dollar bill can be
changed for ones. To-day he comes "a
gain to the teacher with the question,
"How can I subtract these numbers!"--
Just glancing at the slate, the teacher re-
plies, "Borrow one from the column of
tens" 80, but cannot now" he re-
plies, "there are none there" On exam
ination, the upper number is found to be
ten thousand. Now the process of chang
ing The ten thousand to thousands, one of
the thousands to hundreds, and so on,
must be fully explained, and you may be
sure that the eye will light up as the sub
ject unfoids itself, and subtraction, in any
form, IS from that time perfectly clear to
his mind, This difficulty might have been
anticipated by the teacher, and explained
beforehand. but think you it would have
been as readily seized upon, and as long
remembered
1t was formerly the opinion of Geog-
raghers, that the pupil should commence
the study with his own location, and grad
ually enlarge the sphere of his observa-
ton. But we believe the prevailing opin-
ion at present is, that general survey of
the whole earth should first be taken, and
particulars learned afterwards. We leave
this question. Let every one be fully
persuaded in bis own mind as to the true
method. A Globe should be used in Civ
ing children their first lessons in Geog-
raphy. As they advance, Outline Maps
are exceedingl y important, almost indis-
pensable. Take class who have been
studying the historical part Of the Geog-
raphy, and give them Map lesson, al
lowing them to study it from Outline Maps
with pointers in their hands, and their
recitation will eEince the increased inter-
est of the class, if it has not already
shown itself in their manner of stud ying.
The names of ali the towns in the State