The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-22
PREPARING FOR WALL STREET.
Kansas City Teachers Novel Method
OF Teaching Arithmetic.

Miss Emma Farren. the seventh grade
teacher of the Bryant School, has q new
and Very interesting method of teach
ing the subject of stocks and bonds. The
subject is usually u difficult one for chill
dreu to master, and one in which 1t
is hard for the teacher to interest them.
but Miss Farren's pupils will leave the
subject next week with much regret.
Yesterdays recitation was the result
OF fifteen lessons upon the subject, ana
the ease with which the children hand
led the subject was proof that Miss Far
ren's work had not been lost and that
her method is Il good and practical one.
When the children first took UP the
subject, the pupils chose a stockbrolSer
FOR themselves, selecting Bemon 9ancy,
one of the brightest pupils of the arlth-
metic class. to transact their business.
He has now acted as stockbroker for
nearly three weeks and is very proud of
the distinction.
Miss Farrens first step in her work was
to place upon her blackboard Il stock
board which contains the name of every
term used in the subject of stocks and
bonds. Under each of these terms there
is 4 column with subdivisions for every
problem. When u problem is given to the
pupil the first thing he does is to place
it on the stockboards. putting the terms
of the problem in the column OF the
corresponding names.
At the beginning of every recitation
each child has on his slate 4 stock board
and as the problem is given out writes
the terms there. When through Miss
Farren sends one OF the pupils to the
board to repeat his work there without
the aid of his slate f the children APP
prove his statements they begin the work
upon the problem.
The children do not like problems from
books but make their own. Every morn
ing the Stockbroller of the room Gins
the stock quota tons from the papers and
tells his class what he has for sale and
what brokerage he will charge They are
all eager to buy, but Frank Ellis is
usually the first purchaser, as his trans
actions are always sure to be large ones
When he announces the number of shares
he wishes to buy or the amount of mon
ey he will eNDend. and how he wishes it
invested, the children set to work upon
the Droblem.s
They are familiar with every term and
there never seems to be any doubt in
their minds as to what they mean. ,rhey
have formed their own definitions of
every term. Miss Farren did not have
them learn any definitions whatever.
They learned what stock quotations. bro
kers dividends and assessments meant
by actually dealing with them, and when
-'i1s'o = s'AiSii SdtiS lOT the definition OF
any term You may be sure that it will
be an original one. The conditions of any
problem that IS given them may be
changed Or reversed. and there will not
be a single pupil confused by it.
Next week will be the last week spent
on the subject of stocks and bonds, and
every child in the room is sorry. With
out any exception. they have all voted
1t the most pleasant subject in arithme-
tic. Miss Farren is now working on a
new method of teaching the subject of
longitude and time. which promises to be
as interesting as that of stocks and bonds
Kansas City Journal