tion, so he should be taught the meaning of the characters used and how they are connected to form other numbers. The work will be easy for the child, because daily contact with these characters fixes them in his mind. Tell him these characters are Roman and the reason why. At this stage only teach the Roman Numerals to 100. From these five characters can be formed all the Roman figures from 1 to 100. Two Things to Remember: 1. When a small Roman Numeral is placed before a larger one-subtract. 2. When a small Roman Numeral is placed after a larger one-add. Thus Here V=5 and I=1. The larger Roman Numeral is placed be VI fore the smaller one, so we add. Have much practice work, requiring the child to write out results as above. Interesting Facts about Roman Numerals: The following facts about the origin and development of Roman Notation can be made very interest ing, and will tend to fix the characters in one's mind: At first one was written I, two was written II, three was written III, nine was written IIIIII It took too long to make ten marks, and too long to count them after they were made, so one mark with another across it was used to denote 10, thus X. The upper or first half of the X, or V, was used to show 5. At first twenty was written XX, thirty was written XXX, forty was written XXXX, ninety was written XXXXXXXXX. It took too long to make the crosses and too long to count them in reading, so [ was used to show 100. Half of the [ or L was used to show 50. The [ gradually became C in trying to make the [ rapidly. Write these where the child can see them plainly: The child has been taught to count. Now while he is telling you how many objects he is dealing with, teach him to tell how much he is dealing with. In other words, have the child measure and compare as well as count. Measurement and Comparison of objects and num bers are most important in the study of arithmetic One author makes this plain when he says that real arithmetic is the measuring of quantity. The success ful teacher realizes this and is not satisfied with the answer, "Three feet and three feet make six feet." wants the child to measure the distance. She wants him to know a foot. Repeating rules and tables is of litle practical value if the child does not know what each denomination means. It is a fine thing for him to know his tables; but it means more to know what they mean. What does a peck mean to him? An hour? A yard? Some parents reproach the teacher by telling her that, "To-day young children don't figure as rapidly as they used to." The reason for this is plain, if the parents stop to think. It is because in the best schools mere rapid mechanical work is left until there is a proper understanding of processes. Rules and definitions are left until the child can make them for himself. When he is able to give an original rule or definition the teacher may improve the wording, not the thought. The child should furnish that from his experiences. At At school children should have access to foot rules, yard rules, dry and liquid measures, and scales. home every child should have a foot rule. While he is young he should prove everything by actual measurement and comparison. Arithmetic cannot be too practical. METHOD: Here is a foot measure. Draw a line one foot long. Another. How many lines have you now? If you cover up one, how many? Draw another. Now how many have you? 2 and 1 are how many? How many ones in 4? How many twos? etc. For the Child to Learn Objectively: * 12 inches make 1 foot. Objectively so far as pointing it out on a calendar. TALK: Teach the LONG MEASURE. child to estimate distances and then to verify every estimate by actual measurement. Teach half inches as well as inches. Long Measure Is Used to Measure 12 inches make 1 foot. in. means inch or inches. For the Child to Do: 1. Cut a strip of paper 12 inches long and 1 inch wide. 2. Mark the inches on it. 3. How many inches long is it? 4. What do you call a measure 12 inches long? 5. Draw a line 2 inches long, as near as you can, without using a ruler. 6. Measure it with a ruler. Did you guess nearly right? Try again. 7. Measure this page. How long is it? How wide? 8. Draw a line on the ground 1 yard long. 9.of a foot is how many inches? 10. 1 yard is how many inches? What is measured by the yard? 11. Ask your mother how many yards of cloth she needs for a dress. 12. What is measured by the foot? 13. How tall are you? |