The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-12-08
The MeddLer
III The coat IifS yoI. PIT II on"

A nev and interesting method Of teach
inc arithmetic IA being tried in some OF the
grades of the Greenfield public schools In
stead of taking up the subject as separate
branch the pupils gain their knowledge. oil
il as opportunity appears IN connection
with other studies. The objection 70 the
old style arithmetic work Is that u "
parrot.like chattering OF multiplication
tables without practical application OF mum
hers. Under this new method the children
are now taught arithmetic in connection
with other studies. As numbers come INTO
all work more or less, much more arithme-
tic is taught than formerly. In the geogra'
ply lesson, for instance, the children are
asked the height Of some distant mountain
peak. Then that is contrasted with Ny
Tom or some other elevation ana the chll'
dren must tell the difference in height,
also how many times higher one is than the
other. In teaching latitude and longitude,
in addition TO being asked how many de-
Qrees certain place is south OF the equa.
for. the children are also asked how many
miles il is. The children compare this dii'
ference with that from Greenfield TO New
York, so that they not only get the mum
Der work Of the old arithmetic, but IN ad'
dition get a practical application OF the
same 10 facts of everyday life, and IN a
manner so that the children may see and
understand the why and wherefore. In the
physiology lesson the children read the
thermometer, comparing the temperature
of the room with what IT should be; ana
also with the temperature OF the blood, etc.
The room is measured TO show how many
cubic feet OF air il contains and what per,
centage OF that is oxygen. Absorption and
evaporation are taught by practical demon
80 A IG
allowed TO dry up and be weighed again,
Then IL is allowed TO stand in water and
again weighed The children keep record
and determine how much il lost in weight
in ounces and fractional parts of an ounce
and what percentage it has lost or gained
in weight. Such work it is believed teaches
practical arithmetic, develops the reasoning
power, and helps keep the children inter
ested.
While this method will no doubt bel
scorned by advocates OF the ''readln', rltln
and 'rithmetic" idea there appears 10 be
much Of value in it. 4 parent OF one OF the
pupils in the grade where II Is being tired
told the teacher that her daughter had a
problem which she was unable to do. Her
brother, several grades below, was not only
able TO give a correct solution but took a
sheet OF paper and cut it up, giving .prae
teal illustration OF how the problem should
be done and why. There are also instances
where children who have received instruc-
ton under the inductive method have skip
ped one or two grades and showed unusual
proficiency in the advanced arithmetic
work. It is undoubtedly true, as the
Greenfield Gazette points out, that nine
tenths Of the catch problems in fractions
and square and cube root, over which we
used to bother our heads, were time wasted
as far as practical knowledge is concerned.
But il is equally true that there are certain
fundamental rules in arithmetic which can
best be learned in the old.fashioned way
The chief value Of the Greenfield method is |
probably found in its tendency to clothe
with interest what would otherwise be dry
and undressing propositions.
Ii is expected that the bailiffs at their
meeting tonight will take prompt action in
regard to providing electric lights for the |
Fort Drummer Heights section of the vii
lage, and that in this event the local light |
ing company will at once begin the installa
ton OF such lights as the baiiffs authorize. |
Nothing that will tend TO make this part
OF Brattleboro attractive to prospective |
residents should be left undone. 1t is I'M
fortunate that the local highway depart |
ment did not get around to lay concrete
sidewalks on the different streets Of the |
Heights this fall, but Commissioner Perry |
promises that board and gravel walks will
be put in at once and that permanent
concrete walks will be laid another spring.
The delay in regarding South Main street
has thrown the work OF extending the troll
lev line into season when conditions are
anything but favorable but it is much bet
ter that the extension be built under diff
ficulties than that it 60 over until another
spring.
As far as objection to the new route of
the trolley road is concerned The Meddler
is inclined to the opinion that Manager
Adds of the Twin State company is not at
all unreasonable in his statement of the
case. II is evident that more people will /
be served by the route through Washing
ton street to South Main street and thence
south than if the track had been extended |
through Pine street and the Central street
line entirely abandoned. 1t is also evident
that an extension via Thomas or Pearl
streets, while desirable, would hardly |
cover sufficient additional territory to war
rant the increased expense. The electric |
railroad business in Brattleboro is not
gold mine, as local men who have had ex-
perience in it are well aware, and too much /
in the way of extension should not be ex-
pected at one time.
The Meddler's attention is called to the
practice of throwing empty bottles and
other refuse from the rear windows of H
windows on Main street overlooking the