River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-11-14
Numbers hv A. |. Inpli.

Having been asked by the editor tc
furnish an article on Arithmetic for the
columns of the Institute, will attempt
to satisfy his wishes by briefly giving my
experience and methods in teaching
numbers.
l am conscious that too little attention
is paid to this part of arithmetic, in fact
the foundation of all subsequent work in
mathematics; this is especially true in a
great many of our country schools. was
| myself victim Of that trouble, when /
first attempted to teach the young idea
how to shoot" but, having become aware
of the fact | have since remedied it.
think child should receive instruction
in numbers from the first day that he en-
tiers upon his sclooi-life; but here the
teacher must exercise great care to limit
the instruction to primary work. BY the
old and long established method we were
taught the four processes in the order as
they came, e. finishing addition with
large and small numbers before taking III
subtraction, and so on with multiplica.
| ton and division. But more recent i'm.
provements consist in excluding large
numbers entirely at first; dividing the
smaller numbers into classes. CRUDE in
his method treats each number as a circle
or part by itself and thereby also discards
those classes. He recommends that the
numbers be taken up in their order and
measured or compared by all numbers
below them. Care must be taken In
measuring a number so as MOTTO have any
number larger han the one consid.
cred occur in any manner whatso-
ever. The teacher should first supply
herself with a large variety of objects
such as blocks, buttons, toothpicks,
| splints, etc. and if possible with a ia Die SO
that the pupils will have something to
work on. When you are ready to begin
your work call your beginners up to the
table and start conversation with them
about the various objects, so as to get
them to talk freely. BY this talk you can
draw out their idea of numbers. As the
number one cannot be measured except
by itself, begin your work with the num-
Der two and treat it in every way possible
| by addition, satisfaction, multiplication,
and division-your operations not involv-
ing knowledge of any number higher
than two. In this way proceed with the
next higher number, measuring and COM
pairing it by all numbers below it. The
operations should all be illustrated with
objects, especially in teaching beginners.
| In connection with numbers | also teach
the smaller fractions such as J, 1, /, (, 1,
| etc. The denominate numbers in most
| common use may also be taught here;
when treating for instance the number
three, it is easy to teach the number OF
feet in yard etc. One of the greatest
helps in teaching numbers, and fractions
especially, is a few dollars in change
Toy money is very valuable for seat work
but for recitation work, l prefer to have
the "hard change" as it win create q
greater interest. A few dollars will suf-
| flee the, want. The recitations should
not be too lengthy; but should close when
the interest of the pupils is at its greatest
height, as that will create new interest
for the next recitation.
In the following principles which are
laid down by CRUDE, but slightly abridg.
ed First, Language.l Insist on correct
expressions both on the part of the teach.
er and that of the pupils, and allow no in,
correct expression to pass uncorrected
Require each answer to be given in a
perfect sentence. Second, Questions.
DO not speak too much yourself, but require
the pupils to talk freely. Let your ques
tons be such as will lead the pupil t.
think. Third, Glass and Individual Re
citations) Have answers be by the pu
pills individually and by the class in con
cert. Fourth, (Illustrations.) Every
process and each example should be illus
trated by means of objects. Fifth
| (Measuring and Comparing) A compar
ison of two numbers can only take place
by means of one of the four processes
This comparison illustrated by means Of
numbers, should be followed by exercises
in the rapid solving Of problems and q
view of numerical relations of the mum.
beers Just treated in more difficult COM
binations. In connection with sufficient
number of examples in applied numbers
are given to show that applied numbers
hold the same relations to each other
that pure members do. Sixth, Writing
OF Figures.) On neatness in writing the
figures, the requisite time must be spent.
Since an invariable diagram for each
number will reappear in all stages Of this
course Of instruction, the pupils win soon
become able to prepare work for each
coming number by writing its diagram on
their states.
| THE above article; (also one on The