The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-06-21
MISTAKES TN TEACHING ARITHME
TTG

IlU.
The general favor of the study and
the popular idea OF its practicability in
ordinary life, have been quickly
discovered by business authors and
publishers, so that almost every issue
of a treatise on this subject is q prac-
tical one, SO named, though often con-
tanning the most impractical things
We are told sometimes by those who
readily discern the character of much
of the instruction given in our com
mon schools, that we teach too much,
and so fail to give our pupils concise
and definite ideas. Of the subjects we
teach. On the other hand, business
men complain that the youth they
employ from the common school must
be educated from the start to the
practical forms of business numbers.
These two sentiments emanating from
different standpoints of experience,
though seemingly opposite to each
other, yet suggest two principal errors
in the common method Of teaching
arithmetic. We teach too much when
we confuse the pupil by the multiple
city of forms presented or the intri-
cacy of our reasoning processes.
Many of us must plead guilty of
presenting under almost every topic in
arithmetic several different methods
of reaching the some result.
The effect of this course is to CON
fuse the pupil, and leave him without
definite notions Of any one of the
several processes, or facility to operate
with readiness even in any of them.
Better teach one method we'll, in each
principle, and leave the other for
future discovery or investigation.
This plan will give not only better
understanding of the principle exhibit
ed, but greater facility and accuracy
III all operations for reaching results
under it. What the average pupil
wants to know is the most direct,
simple and business way, Of solving
his problem. This of course gives
much more time for that all-impor-
tant matter-practical drill.
Again, we err in our efforts and
enthusiasm to show the reason of
every step in the solution Of a problem
especially with pupils just beginning
the study. How much time, for in
stance, is worse than uselessly spent in
explaining to children, in whom the
reasoning faculty is scarcely Pledged,
why we carry one for every ten in
addition, or why we add ten to the
minuend and one to the subtrahend in
subtraction; and this even before they
know the mechanical process of the
operation, Such time spent in per-
picking the pupil with what to him
seems distractions, would, if given to
drill in rapidly combining and subtract
ing simple numbers, result in a knoVI-
edge far more practical and useful in
every avenue of business life.
The same useless reasoning is drag
ged by many teachers into almost
every subject illustrated, and defended
ON the ground that it disciplines the
mind This may be true when it Is.
judiciously conducted, but we must
remember that the ostensible object of
common school education, and of the
study Of arithmetic in particular. is
practical utility. Get your discipline
by doing a greater amount Of work and
doing it in better style. The principle
OF dealing with essentials mainly
should prevail in all work of educa-I
ton. We have too much to do to|
spend sine fooling over complicated
arithmetical puzzles which abound III
some books questions which no one
should undertake to solve till well
versed in algebra and geometry. Att
the proper stage Of education, such
puzzles, which are Encouragement
to the young scholar, because he thinks
them essential to the subject, will bel
solved in the natural progress Of his