ADDITION 



43 



ADDITION 



(6) With these and a good measuring tape, 

 the measuring may extend into the yard, the 

 farm, the playground, the school ground, tin* 

 city block, and so on to any region of interest 

 to the child. 



MEASURING THE GARDEN 

 Such work gives excellent opportunity for 

 the child to master the simple number in the 

 life about him. At this stage, the home offers 

 opportunities for work and material which the 

 child cannot have in school for lack of indi- 

 ^vidual help, chance for freedom of movement, 

 'for expression of results and for discussion of 

 his own interesting methods. The data se- 

 cured gives the child his own material for 

 counting and adding. Indeed, it keeps him at 

 work helping himself, with now and thru a 

 suggestion from teacher or mother, which is 

 the most desirable condition for school or 

 home work. The large classes in school are 

 somewhat prohibitive of this desirable i. 

 of individual effort. Here the home has a 

 great advantage and should furnish much raw 

 material for the school. 



Another set of suggestions: The play or 



work with IT.- 1 1 money is most enjoyable and 



most generous in its results at this state; chil- 



kc it greatly. Many teachers use money 



made by themselves or by the children, or 



manufactured in bulk for the purpose, but 



is a joy of response to the real money 



which is lacking in the effect of tin- imil 



'iild knows the one has value while the 

 other has not, and even allowing for the gener- 



15 

 40 



37 



107 



ous imagination of the child, the real money 

 adds zest to his problem. 



(1) If the teacher can have on hand pen- 

 nies, nickels. dunes and dollars, that the child 

 may handle, count and add, his joy and prog- 

 ress will give return in full measure. 



(2) Let child and teacher buy and sell to 

 each other. 



(3) 1 icher or mother tell him what 

 she has spent or must spend for bread, meat, 

 Ixitter, berries, etc.. while he sets aside tin- 

 amount of real mon- ; thru 



>\vn the column to be added, not writing 

 the name of the article bought, whirl i 

 laborious at this time, nor the dollar sign nor 

 decimal point, but in this form : 

 This he sees is 107 cents, and from the 

 money he has set aside, he sees it is 

 $1.07. 



(4) Then the question is asked, "How 

 much have I spent at the store?" "Show 

 it to me in pennies." "In dimes and 

 pennies." "In any other way you can." Out 

 of this kind of work can grow innumerable 

 problems, not only for the young child, but for 

 older children, at home and at school. The 

 home has much material at hand which the 

 school should call for, asking the child to fur- 

 \i\-\\ jrood. live material for class work. 



(5) If there are a gurdrn. cows, chickens, 

 etc.. the small child may count the radishes, 

 the heads of lettuce. tomato plants, eggs, pints 

 or quarts of milk and so on ; count by ones and 

 in groups. Compute the value of this produce 

 for home use, or what it brings when sold, for 

 the week or month or season, somewhat as fol- 

 In one week mother sold eggs for $325; 

 lettuce $0.45; butter $4.00; cream $050; rad- 

 ishes $0.42. Use another present an- 



other week. Let the child find the sum for 

 first week, second week, and so on, keeping ac- 

 count for many weeks. Even a small child 

 can do this if the account is not complicated, 

 and his MINT, -t ,} each week or each 



day so that he remains awake to his growing 

 j'liiM' ; i problem must be simple, and 

 the old problem should be recalled by ! 

 his old paper kept and brought out etch stated 

 k. or wh:< period may 



l>e. until he has accomplished his big problem. 

 The mother must not force it too far. But 

 Mich a big, far-reaching problem in the 

 economy of the home will ni\ him an inspira- 

 tion and a respect for his study of arid 

 especially if the teacher makes this home 

 problem an integral part of the child'* claw 



