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FIRST LESSONS IN ARITHMETIC.

First Notions. The Numbers from 1 to 10.

Master. (Having placed the whole class before him in front of the black-board.) What do I hold here in my hand?—Answer. A pen. M. Say That is a pen. How many pens are there?-A. One pen. M. Say again: That is one pen.

[We observe here in the beginning, that it is very important to insist always upon full sentences. Such complete answers not only prove that the question has been well understood, but also induce the pupil to think more distinctly, and express himself more correctly.]

M. Now say all together: That is one pen. (Taking another pen into his left hand :) How many pens have I here ?-A. That is also

one pen.

M. Say so all together.

Now listen to what I say, and we shall afterwards see who can repeat it (putting the two pens together): One pen and one pen are two pens. Who can say the same? (Several children do so.)

M. Say so all together.

M. Who can lift up one finger? Do all so. Henry, show me two pens-lift up two fingers. What is more, one shilling or two shillings? -A. Two shillings are more than one shilling.

M. How much more?-A. One shilling more. Or better: Two shillings are one shilling more than one shilling.

M. How many tables, fireplaces, &c. are in this room?-A. In this room there is one table, &c.

M. (Naming an object which is twice in the room :) How many maps are in this room?—A. There are two maps in this room.

M. Name other objects of which there two in this room.-A. We have here two black-boards, two windows, &c.

M. What have you once on your body?-A. I have one head, one mouth, one forehead, &c.

M. What have you twice on your body?-A. I have two eyes, two arms, two hands, &c.

M. What is only once in this town?-A. In our town there is one market-place, one town-hall, one mayor, &c.

M. Now look here; I make one stroke on the black-board, now two more beneath the first. Take this piece of chalk and do the same ; try to make your strokes straight, and equally long and thick.

[For a first regular lesson with little children the preceding exercises are sufficient. With all preparations, getting them in order, corrections, additional questions which may suggest themselves during its course, it will take nearly half an hour; and as uninterrupted attention is required, that time must not be exceeded. The next lesson begins with a repetition of the preceding one, particularly of its first questions. Then the master continues.]

M. How many pencils do I hold here ?—A. There are two pencils. M. (Taking another pencil) How many pencils have I here?—A. That is one pencil.

M. Now listen to me: Two pencils and one pencil are called three pencils. John, say the same; now Henry; now all together. Give me one pencil, now two, now three; always say at the same time how many you give me. What is three times in this room? Take the chalk and

make one stroke on the black-board, now two underneath it, and after that three more strokes. Now say with me (pointing to the strokes) : This is one stroke, there are two strokes, there are three strokes. Now backwards. Say the numbers without looking at the black-board, now backwards.

[Most of these answers are to be given first by one child, and to be repeated by all of them.

The object of all preceding questions and exercises was not so much to make the children acquainted with the numbers one, two, three, (which they probably very well knew before they entered the schoolroom), as to accustom them to pay attention, express distinctly their ideas, and learn a few expressions which are necessary for the following exercises. To obtain this important object we purposely dwelt long on the first numbers, which in themselves offer no great difficulty. The master now goes on in the same way, varying his questions and the objects he uses for illustrating the same; but he must never omit first to show to the eye what he intends to teach, and frequently cause his pupils to show themselves, on material objects, what they are saying about numbers. This is also the best way to fix their attention and interest them in the lessons. To avoid repetition with too little variation for the reader,-which, however, with little children is necessary,- -we now suppose our pupils taught in the manner given above the numbers as far as 7. The master then begins the next lesson.] M. Charles, say the numbers from 1 to 7; Tom, say them backwards; now, all together. Count how many books I have here.A. One, two, three, four, five, there are five books.

M. How many fingers do I lift up? Count them in the same way. Now pay attention to how many strokes I make on the black-board. Henry, how many brothers have you? Name them. How many fingers have you on your left-hand? Tell me how many days there are in a week.-A. A week has seven days.

M. Name them. Who can name them backwards? Which is the first day of the week, the second, the last, the fifth?

[Several of the latter questions are, of course, a kind of deviation from the exact subject of Arithmetic, but we insert them on purpose to show that they are not altogether objectionable. It has been already mentioned that in the course of a lesson many additional questions may suggest themselves, and any master or mother knows that from experience. If such slight deviations from our principal object do not occur too often, and are not too long, they prove very useful by bringing a little more variation and interest into an otherwise dry subject. Besides, we must not forget that at this period of education a rapid progress of our pupils in one particular branch is not so much our object as a general and harmonious development of all mental faculties, and it therefore matters little if our conversation turns for a moment from the chief object.]

M. Charles, say the numbers from 2 to 6, from 3 to 7; backwards, from 7 to 2, &c. Which is more,- -3 or 4, 2 or 5, 7 or 6? Now answer this question: Which is less,-3 or 4 ?-A. 3 is less than 4.

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M. We are now going to learn a new number. Here I take seven pens,-one, two, three, &c.; and here is another pen which I add to the seven. Seven and one are called eight. Repeat that, and several

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I make here strokes on the black-board from one to eight; and, lastly, little rou

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Show me five points, three little rounds, seven strokes, &c. your place and try to make the same on your slate. What to do?-A. We have to make strokes on our slate from one then points from one to eight, then little rounds from one to ei [At another time the master or pupils make the same ba either on the black-board or on the slate. When the child thus at last become fully acquainted with the numbers from 1 t begin another exercise, in order to make them write down wh have only been saying until now.]

M. Tell me once more how many are one pen and one pen, o and one stroke ?-A. One stroke and one stroke are two stroke M. Let us try to write that down. Look at this sign (makin cross +), I call this "and." How do you call this sign? sign (making two horizontal strokes =) I call "are." this sign? Now look what I am writing here:

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M. I am going to read the whole line to you: one stroke a stroke are two strokes. John, repeat the same and point to ea as you pronounce it. (Several children do so.)

M. Charles, come here and write it once more on the black-bo rub it out, who can write it now once more? (Several childr present themselves, and are admitted to try.)

M. Now let us go on. How many are two pens and one p strokes and one stroke? We must write that down. Here I ma strokes; what comes next?-A. "And."

M. Show me how I write "and." Very well; now I have two strokes and-what comes next?-A. One stroke.

M. Here it is. Read once more as far as we have written. the second line is gone through.)

M. Read the whole line again; now all together. Repeat bot What do you think we are going to write now ?-A. Three strol one stroke are four strokes.

[In this manner the whole series is gone through as far as 10,

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or more lessons. The whole sum is then read over several times by single children and the whole class, and afterwards they have to write the same on their slate. As a repetition, they may write the same with dots or little rounds.]

Addition of 2.

M. William, how many books have I here?-A. You have there three books.

M. And here ?-A. There are two books.

M. Very well; now I will add these three books and the two books together. Look, first I add one book to the three books-how many are there now ?-A. Three books and one book are four books.

M. Now I add the other book-how many are there?—A. There are now five books.

M. How many did I add to the three I had first ?—A. Two.

M. Now say after me: Three books and two books are five books. (Several children and the whole class say the same.)

M. How many books have I here?-count them.-A. There are six books.

M. Let us add two to them. How many do I add first ?—A. First I add one book.

M. And how do you say in adding one book?—A. Six books and one book are seven books.

M. Very well; but I must add one more, and how do you say now? -A. Seven books and one book are eight books.

M. How many books had I first; and how many did I add to them? Now say again after me: Six books and two books are eight books. Here I take five pencils and two pencils. Let me see which of you is able to add the two to the five and tell me how many they are together. (One or more children will, aided by a few suggestive words and signs of the master, begin: Five pencils and one pencil are six pencils; six pencils and one pencil are seven pencils.)

M. Now say also what you have found, beginning with "therefore.”A. Therefore five pencils and two pencils are seven pencils.

M. Who can repeat that ?—who else? Now all together.

The master now makes them find out how many are 8 and 2, 2 and 2, at last 1 and 2. In the beginning, pens, books, or similar things, are used to facilitate the exercise. After some practice these objects are removed, and, at last, even the words "books," "pens," &c. left out. Thus the children say: Seven and one are eight, eight and one are nine; therefore, seven and two are nine. This gradual progress, from that which is visible to the abstract, is to be observed in all following exercises. Now the children are again led on to write what they have found out.

M. Say once more, how many are 1 and 2? Let us write that on the black-board. What do you say first?-A. One.

Well,

M. Here I write one (making one stroke). What now?-A. And. M. Do you remember how I write, and show it me? what comes after that? In this way the master goes on and writes: + Read the whole line over.

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Now say once more, how

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many are two and two? Let us write that also.

And so on until the last line is written: |||||||| + || = ||||||||||. If a child makes a blunder, it is to be corrected by repeating the addition with or without objects as above. The sums, as they have been written by the master on the black-board, are to be copied on the slate. Afterwards the children may do them once more without the original, and also alternately miss one line, thus :

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By the method we have followed, by frequent repetition and writing, our pupils, even the less intelligent, will soon know the preceding sums, which now serve as a foundation for the following ones. The addition of three comes next, and is, according to the number and ability of the children, more or less extensively gone through like the foregoing exercise.

M. Here I have four pencils, let us add three to them. How many are four pencils and one pencil? five pencils and one? six pencils and one? How many are, therefore, four pencils and three pencils? Who can say the whole over again and conclude with "therefore?"-A. Four pencils and one are five pencils, and one are six, and one are seven; therefore four pencils and three pencils are seven pencils.

M. Find out, in the same way, how many are seven shillings and three shillings, three horses and three horses, five and three.

We may also avail ourselves of the preceding additions, and at once say: Four and two are six, and one more are seven; therefore, four and three are seven. The best will be to add now in this way, and then in the other. After several similar solutions, another series is prepared and written, first in common on the black-board, afterwards on the slate.

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[The addition of 4 and 5 offers no difficulty, and is prepared, as well as the respective sums written in the same manner, as for the numbers 2 and 3. 4 may be decomposed into 2 + 2, or 3 + 1, 5 into 3 + 2, or 2 +2 + 1. To add 4 times or 5 times 1 would perhaps be too long. We do not think it necessary or advisable to go further than 4 or 5 in these preliminary exercises, our intention being only to give our pupils

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