THE CHILD'S ARITHMETIC, BEING AN EASY AND CHEAP INTRODUCTION TO DABOLL'S, PIKE'S, WHITE'S, AND OTHER ARITHMETICS; DESIGNED TO RENDER BOTH TEACHING AND LEARNING HARTFORD: PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL G. GOODRICH. 1818. QA 101 .G64 1818 DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT, SS. L. S. BE IT REMEMBERED; Thai on the thirty first day of August, in the fortythird year of the independence of the United States of America, Samuel G. Goodrich of the said District hath deposited in this office the title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as Proprietor, in the words following, to wit, "The Child's Arithmetic; being an easy and cheap Introduction to Daboll's, Pike's, White's, "and other Arithmetics; designed to render both teach "ing and learning at once simple and interesting." In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled," An act for the encouragement of learn "ing, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during "the times therein mentioned." R. I. INGERSOLL Clerk of the District of Connecticut, A true copy of Record, examined and sealed by me, Clerk of the District of Connecticut. 0955057-190 PREFACE. ARITHMETIC is an abstract, and at first a very uninviting study. Children who do not look to its utility, can see nothing in it but an unmeaning change of figures; which gives no present satisfaction, and promises no coming pleasure. It seems, therefore, every effort should be inade to clothe this study in 30mewhat attractive colours; or at least to divest it, of all that is not necessarily difficult and disagreeable. But instead of this, the natural disadvantages of the subject are increased by the manner in which it is delivered. Our school arithmetics are written in a rigidly technical style, which, however clear and philosophical to mature and cultivated minds, is utterly incomprehensible to children. The consequence is, they are discou raged at the very threshold. They indeed learn the rules and definitions by rote, but they still do not know their meaning: they therefore despair of helping themselves with the book; they run to the teacher in every new case; they follow his directions mechanically, and thus go through a volume, without comprehending the principles of a single page. It is the object of this little work, to open to children a more pleasant and successful access to this study. For this purpose I have not thought it necessary materially to alter the arrangement of Daboll. The only change made in this respect has been more completely to separate and distinguish the various rules. At the first outset of this study, a child cannot successfully pursue Simple Arithmetic and Federal Money, until he clearly understands one of them. The principal points of difference between this and other schocl arithmetics, are,-1st. The definitions are given in plain and simple language, and are then illustrated to the senses of the child.-2nd. The rules are also given in intelligible lan-guage, and are then clearly and minutely exemplifed-3rd. There is a gradation in the examples, the first under a rule being very simple, and the others gra dually advancing in difficulty.-4th. Every rule is exer cised by practical questions, of such a nature as actually arise in the business of life.-5th. This only pretends to be an introduction to other books on arithmetic. An author must be supposed partial to his own plan, and very naturally may attribute undue importance to it. However this may be in the present instance, I cannot believe this little book is entirely unneeded. Whoever has dealt with children has found that ideas introduced into their minds by sensible objects, are not only more perfectly formed, but are more permanently fixed, than those derived from verbal description. I do not know that in any supposable case, words are an equivalent with children to the palpable exposition of the eye or the touch. A child will better comprehend the number twenty, by laying before him so many apples or cents, than by ten pages of well written definition. It is unnecessary to explain the difficulties which arise in the education of children, from the use of books above their capacity. The treble evils of disgusting their minds with all study; of clouding and perplexing their habits of thinking by the obscure conception of ideas; and of materially retarding their progress; are but a part of the mischiefs which flow from this source. In regard to arithmetic, these remarks apply with peculiar force. Teachers are rarely successful in making more than one half of their scholars understand it to any useful purpose. And in this state, where schools are supported by a public fund of more than one million of dollars, and where the teachers are equal to any others, it demands so much time and attention to teach it, that in some districts the committees expressly forbid the instructor to attempt it at all. The importance therefore of simplifying this useful study, and of bringing it down to the capacities of children, cannot be denied. How far I have succeeded in an attempt to do this, the public must judge. All that seems necessary for me to say on this point is, that I have restricted myself to the five ground rules of arithmetic, and Reduction; under the belief that the difficul ties in this study have chiefly arisen from the imperfect manner in which these rules are explained in the books commonly used. If the definitions, and rules, and cases given, are all above the comprehension of the pupil, it requires extraordinary ingenuity and readiness in the teacher, to dissipate every difficulty which a dozen or twenty scholars will incessantly meet. It cannot therefore be a fault with teachers, that their pupils often proceed to the Rule of Three or Vulgar Fractions, before they perfectly comprehend all the principles of Simple Arithmetic. This, however, being the fact, lays a foundation for perpetual obstructions in pursuing the study, and for almost perfect ignorance of it at the end. I have therefore bent my efforts at tracing the first footsteps of the way, and then confide the pupil to his instructor, and such a book as he may choose. Walter D. Woodwork, Book 1029 |