The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1872-04-12

BY JACOB wERNLI, PRINCIPAL NORMAL
SCHOOL, GALENA, ILL.

| SCHOOL, GALENA, ILL.
In the common, aud often in the
higher schools of Switzerland, we shall
find no textbook on arithmetic; it is
regarded as unnecessary,a nuisance; the
scholars commit no definitions, no rules
to their memory; no books with analy-
sis, and answers and rules, lead the
struggling scholar on '.the royal road to
knowledge"
An "Intellectual Arithmetic, placed
in the hands of the young student to
'sget the lesson" and then recite to tho
teacher, would be regarded downright
folly. No school superintendent, even
in examination of teachers, would ask
for definitions Of fractions, "divisor,"
''sum," etc. The question, "What is
a fraction ?'would puzzle scholar who
in few minutes would solve the most
intricate problem in partnership, or in.
terest. Algebra is not taught in the
common schools; it is regarded as be-
longing to the high schools. If these
things are the essential properties Of a
good method of teaching arithmetic,
verify, must confess that our Ameri-
can schools stand very high on the lad
der that leads to perfection but Switz-
erland certainly takes her place mod
estly on the lowest round. ~
For the method Of teaching this
important branch in the common schools
in that country from which the modern
education was started by Father Pesta-
lozzi, is simply the following:
l. No tyros are admitted as teachers.
After an education in the high schools
the candidate for teacher is prepared 4
years for this work in their excellent nor
NAL schools, Of which Switzerland, with
two and half million inhabitants, pos
sesscs 81. Every step, every difficulty
he learns to observe and overcome.
Theory is connected with practice. The
general and special principles of educa-
ton. which underlie each branch, the
relation and bearing of the several
branches to one another, the end to be
accomplished by each and all, is clear
before him. Thus prepared, he enters
the school, generally for life.
2. While some American teachers
profess that they would teach all the
arithmetic a scholar needs, in term or
two, Swiss teacher commences his in.
struction with the first school year, as
continuation Of the scholars education
by his mother or comrades. Every
operation in the elementary classes is
connected with objects. Nothing is
attempted which the scholar cannot un-
derstand. Notation is taught very
gradually; first from to 20; then to
so; later to 100. But all operations
are carried through in one station, be-
fore the scholars advance to the next.
Although steady progress is made, the
teacher hastens slowly. Nothing is told
that the scholar can find out himself,
and indeed, very little need be told in
arithmetic. The less the teacher ex-
plains, the surer is the progress Of the
scholar. The teacher is requested to
render all necessary assistance by q
strictly catechetical method. Thus the
child is forced to follow the teacher, who
can easily see if he understands or not
and the pupil grows Independent in
thinking and reasoning.
3. Very little difference can be OBJ
served between the solution in mental
and in written arithmetic, except that
in this, the figures are used to represent
the numbers. Many Of the b'est teach
ers discard written arithmetic, as
separate branch, entirely, and combine
both, with the best results.
4. If books are used by sholars,
which at present is often the case, they
are merely we'll arranged collections Of
problems without solutions, rules, or
answer. And why should they not be
in this form? Does not experience teach
us, that what We understand and re-
gard as correct and safe, we adopt as a
rule Of our actions in life as well as in
arithmetic.
5. The great ends Of arithmetic are
regarded to be: l, and most important,
the development of sound, logical rea-
soning, by which the child will gain
strength (not knowledge) to solve the
most difficult problems that may occur
in higher classes
6. To prepare for business This
order may seem strange to many
practical Americans: but in the land of
s'Tell' they educate, first men; second,
business men. And is not this the