Show r t Time T- T TF Ime F For or t t i Class 9 By CHICO IQ STATE COLLEGE DOES YOUR CHILD LIKE ARITHMETIC I It Is quite probable that poorer teaching has been done in arithmetic I than in any other subject matter area Teachers have frankly admitted it was wasI their aim to make children proficient in the arithmetic processes to make I responses automatic through tedious drill Most teachers of ot arithmetic were satisfied if It their pupils attained reason reason- reasonable reasonable reasonable able accuracy and speed in the funda funda- fundamental fundamental fundamental mental processes regardless of whether or not these processes made sense or whether the pupil could use them In Intelligently In- In intelligently in social situations which demanded an application of ot the pro pro- Only in recent years have teachers teacher writers and investigators in the teach teach- teaching ling I ing of ot arithmetic stressed the import Import- importance Importance importance ance of teaching the subject matter meaningfully ly Arithmetic has been con con- considered considered considered a a. tool and drill subject for many years and was Justified on the grounds of at supposed disciplinary values Consequently many pupils developed a n. strong dislike for arithmetic because of or frustration and inadequacy brought about by compulsory memorization and enforced drill on material not meaning meanIng- meaningful ful to them Many adults ad the victims of ot this type of ot teaching develop emo emo- emotional emotional emotional blocks when confronted with problems of a a. numerical and tive nature The modern trend In arithmetic teaching teach teach- teaching teachIng ing is toward the meaningful approach to its study Properly conceived arithmetic tic is not a tool and drill subject Proficiency Is necessary yes but more than proficiency In computation is demanded de demanded de- de demanded by everyday life situations In practical living we wo must be Intelligent In quantitative situations Mere com com- computational computational computational skill may be sufficient as long as these skills are employed In perfectly per per- perfectly perfectly familiar famUlar situations But life situa situations are frequently new and differ dUfer corn corn- com eom- completely from the familiar famUlar consequently one must think think and and one does not think effectively with mechanical skills alone Only when one possesses rich meaning Is it possible for him to think effective effective- ly Recognizing the Importance of mean- mean meanIng meanIng meaning Ing teachers and educators are changing the methods and techniques of at the arithmetic ari arI- arithmetic arIthmetic program as well as the content I of the courses Instead of the familiar rule example and drill method teach teach- teachers ers are substituting social situations teach teach-I in which pupils are motivated to want to learn a process they are encouraged to discover methods for themselves and to draw draw generalizations from their dis dis- They are encouraged to check the reasonableness of the answers with their own experience They manipulate objects in the classroom thereby making the process more meaningful Only after atter the tho process has become completely 1 meaningful Is tho the child encouraged to practice his new found skill so that It I becomes automatic Business men have often complained that too many of the products of our schools have been mathematically Illiterate illiterate erate and incompetent in that they perhaps knew the mechanical operations of ot the the- processes but could not apply I them in situations which demanded d I thought and discrimination It is hoped that through these newer concepts of ot arithmetic teaching and learning the future generations will acquire a more functional use of num num- number number number ber and its many social applications In thinking communications and problem solving PROFESSOR JOSEPH L. L SLACK Mathematics Chico State College California |