PREFACE. Ir is a true saying, that the character of an individual is affected by the objects with which he is conversant. Hence it is important that the objects presented to the ind of a child should have an elevating influence, and excite him to aspire to something more excellent than he has already attained. To make children more fond of study, we must throw around them a literary atmosphere. If in their studies they are constantly reminded of raisins and oranges, candy and pears, filberts and cookies, it becomes a difficult task to inspire them with a love for Academus' shades, Helicon's fountain, or Siloa's brook. For this reason, among others, the toy books of children,' such as Tom Thumb, Cock Robin, Blue Beard, &c. have been exchanged for the plain, practical, and unvarnished tales of real life. The system of expurgation that has been exercised over the greater part of school books, it is believed, may advantageously be extended to Arithmetic. We have many excellent Arithmetics for children and youth; but the author, with many others, thinks that it will be an important improvement to substitute questions, the solution of which will convey to the mind some important truth. It seems rather out of place for a teacher to sit down with a pupil to calculate the gain or loss on the sale of gin, or lottery tickets. In one of our excellent and popular books on mathematical science, there are two or three questions which the scholar cannot solve without knowing how many cards there are in a pack. The writer of this has been many times mortified to be asked by a pupil, "How many cards are there in a pack, Sir?" It is believed that a child will be as much interested in calculating the length of a distinguished man's life, the height of a mountain, the motion of a planet, or the reign of a king, as with calculations upon gin, candy, or cards. Another reason for presenting the public with a new Arithmetic, aside from the elevating influence of questions of a different character, is, there will be a saving of time by fixing in the child's mind the date of an important event, or some interesting fact connected with figures, at the same time he is acquiring skill in the use of nuinbers. This book founds all its claims to patronage, and to originality, on the fact, that the questions are connected with truths important to be remembered. Lest it should be said, that the mere fact, that A. B. died at the age of 45, without knowing who A. B. was, can be of no possible use, the author has added an Appendix of Notes, in which such information as may be necessary to give interest to the scholar is briefly mentioned. The reasons stated above, have induced the author to present the public with this little work, which he has entitled the "FRANKLIN INTELLECTUAL ARITHMETIC," in memory of Dr. Benjamin Franklin, whose education was eminently practical, and who labored for the practical improvement of others. If this plan meets the approbation of his fellow-teachers and the public, the author proposes to extend the system farther, with the hope of being able to increase the interest in this important branch of learning. Westfield, August, 1832. E. D. DIRECTIONS TO TEACHERS. Most of the Chapters are divided into three Sections; the questions in the first of which are usually very simple, while those in the second are more abstruse, and the third most difficult. If the questions in the second or third Sections of any or all of the Chapters, are found too difficult, they may be omitted, till the pupil has solved the questions in Sect. I. of the subsequent Chapters. Some explanations will be necessary, in the Chapters on Fractions, especially for very young scholars. Such explanations can be given verbally, by the teacher, much better than in the book. Besides, regard is to be had to the capacities of different children; and the degree of simplification necessary for one child, might render a book nearly worthless for another, of the same age. It is always better to let the scholar think for himself, than that his teacher should think for him; especially is this the case in a study, one great end of which should be the cultivation of the reasoning powers. |