Drill Exercises; —
Give drills in rapid addition of fig-ures in columns, no sum to be greater than ten, thus:
2 2 1 2 2 2 13 2 2 2 (>5 6 9 10 10 10
In the same way give rapid drills in subtraction, thus:
4 6 8 10 5 5 9 -2 -3 -4 -5 -3 -2 -4 2 3 4 5 2 3 5
In adding say, two, four, six, eight. Do not have pupils say, two and two a,refour and two are six and two are eight. The latter takes too much time.
In connection with this work teach pupils to make neat figures and to write the words that represent them, also Roman numerals. A device like the following will be found valuable:
one 1 two 1 1 three 1 1 1 four 1 1 1 1 five 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 I 3 MM 4 M M 1 5 I. II. III. IV. V.
It may seem to many that this is a small amount of work for a year, but remember that it pays to do this elementary work thoroughly. In fact, the success of the second year’s work as herein outlined, depends entirely upon the comprehension of number as “applied to quantity.”
GEOGRAPHY.
Purpose . — To encourage observation.
Geography as a formal study should not be introduced in the lowest grades. But the habit of observation should be stimulated from the beginning of school life, and in the first three primary grades the work should be oral. The following subjects should be taught:
1. Position and place of objects; as, on the right hand, on the left hand, before, behind.
2. Direction — east, west, north, and south.
(Have pupils face the north during these exercises. Ask many questions testing pupils knowledge of direction.)
3. Local industries and products.
