Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-08-08
THE SUMMER SCHOOL.


opened in this village on Monday,
Aug. 1, under very pleasant and ia
yorable circumstances. The atten-
dance at the opening was large and
the number has been constantly on
the increase.
The instruction under Mr.. Hall, one
of the best educators in Massachu-
sets, NJ. S. Stone, formerly supervis-
or of this county, but now of East
hampton, and Miss Jennie M. Skinner
has been of great interest and useful
ness to all present. They are each
among the best in their spheres and
every lesson is full of facts that are
important to the teachers of this
state. The time is filed to the ut
most and the interest manifested by
the school shows that they are drink
ing in the facts and the Inspirations
that the teachers are able to impart.
Among some of the more promi-
nent as principals, teachers, ETC., from
the schools in the State, we men
ton Prof. B. G. Day, formerly of
Craftsbury; Mrs. Margaret Smith of
the West Randolph Normal School;
Miss Chase, preceptress of Morrisville
Academy; Mr.. Andrus of Derby
Academy; Mr.. Hazen Of Craftsbury
Academy; Mr.. Farr of Hyde Park
School; Mr.. Parsons of Island Pond;
Mr.. Bushee of White River Junction;
Mr.. Wiley of Barton Graded School
and Academy. The managers are
providing means for pleasant recrea-
tions outside, excursions, etc. The
work of this week promises to be of
equal interest with that of last week.
Miss Jennie NJ. Skinner principal
of Alden ST. school, Springfield, Mass,
gave a very interesting course of les
sons on Number illustrating her
work by class of children. The fol-
lowing is an outline of her work:
Subjects. -Number, Language, Busy
Work.
The objects of teaching number or
arithmetic, are, first to develop pow
er; second, to impart knowledge that
will be useful in the affairs of life.
The ends to be secured, are accura-
cy and rapidity in arithmetical calcu-
lations; power to reason exactly and
logically; and cultivation of Ian
guage.
When shall the subject of "num-
ber'' be presented? I think we all
agree that, if properly presented, the
first term of the child's life in school
is the time to begin this important
study. In order that we may know
where to begin, we test the child's
present knowledge, then proceed
from the known to the unknown;
from the concrete to the abstract, OBJ
jectively; from the simple to the
more difficult; taking step by step,
thoroughly, first analytically, then
alphabetically.
A child knows number when he
can tell all about its parts, and how
to use them. AS the abstract can be
comprehended only through the con-
crete, we teach effectively at first
There is need of a great variety of
objects, as changing from one class Of
them to another sustains interest, and
there is no danger of the children
connecting the number with any one
class of objects The children should
use them in the number work, at
least until ''ten" is taught, and after
that when a new subject is presented
These first lessons must be short, not
exceeding ten minutes each.
In first years work, we teach all the
combinations from to 10; the frac-
tions =, a, 3 effectively. Also pint,
quart, gallon; pint, quart, peck; inch
foot cas- a whole, yard; cent, dime;
days in the week; square inch-from
the face of the cube, with tablets, and
by outline drawing. Square inches
in square and oblong, with applied
problems. Perimeter of square and
oblong. Area of surface of inch cube;
and contents of a two inch cube. AS
all other numbers are formed by COM
bining small ones, when they are
taught, the pupil has all the numbers
that are needed for some time IN
more advanced work. By using only
small numbers, we do not tax the
memory of little children, and the be-
ginning of all the processes can be il
Illustrated by them.
Figures are not used until the last
term of the first year; but little, If
any difficulty is experienced in pre-
senting this new mode of expression.
Solving problems involving the
combinations is made the chief means
of drill, to impress them on the mind.
Addition, subtraction, multiplied
ton and division, are naturally con-