ON STUDIES MOST SUITABLE FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 459 



lucabuieiuents of shapes and sizes. Mechanical use of the ' rule of three 

 should be avoided ; and importance should be attached to giving clear 

 ideas of ratio, 



4. Every pupil in an elementary school should perform, in the 

 course of his work, numerous practical exercises with imitation coins, 

 inch scales divided into common fractions and decimals and scales of 

 centimetres and millimrtres, balance and commoa small weights, both 

 metric and British, common measures of capacity in both systems, com- 

 passes, dividers, protractor, and squared paper. In the highest standards 

 logarithms and other labour-saving methods of computation may be used, 

 where the circumstances of the staff permit these metliods to be intro- 

 duced with profit. 



.'j. The work in arithmetic should be co-ordinated with that in 

 elementary science, so that problems suggested by the science teacher or 

 results found in the laboratory may provide exercises in computation in 

 the classroom, 



G. In testing proficiency in arithmetic, an intelligent knowledge of 

 the operations and familiarity with practical work should be considered 

 at least as important as numerical accuracy. 



7. No artificial distinction should be recognised between arithmetic 

 and algebra. Symbolic notation, the use of signs, substitution of 

 numerical values for symbols, transposition of terms and the plotting 

 and solution of a ' straight-line equation ' should form pai-t of the 

 arithmetic programme of the sixth and seventh standards. Wherever 

 algebraic and graphic methods save time their use should be encouraged. 



8. Geometry should be co-ordinated with arithmetic by such work as 

 measurements of lines, areas and volumes, construction and measure- 

 ment of simple geometrical figures, construction and measurement of 

 paper models, scale drawing and the representation of variables Ijy 

 graphs. 



Mejiort of the Sub-Committee on Nature Study, consisting of Mr. R. H. 

 Adie, Miss L. J. Clarke, Mr. A. D. Hall, Mr. H. Ric'hard.son, 

 and Mr. Ha hold AVagek. 



1. The Object of Nature Study. 



We regard tiie direct study of Nature as a sound foundation for all 

 training of the observing and reasoning powers, and we consider that it 

 is a subject particularly suited to elementary schools under present con- 

 ditions. 



Of the many subjects available for Nature study we regard the study of 

 the living plant from the experimental side as most suitable for elementary 

 schools. It satisfies the following important requirements : (i) It can bo 

 made experimental, and most of the experiments are such as can be repeated 

 by the pupils. Some experiments are of a continuous character and afford 

 training in measurement and recording. It is wise to emphasise the 

 quantitative side of many of the experiments, (ii) The subject forms a 

 connected series of lessons, the later work developing naturally out of the 

 earlier, (iii) The experimental teaching in school is easily linked to the 

 outdoor life of field and hedgerow with which country children are familiar; 

 it naturally introduces observations on animal life, soils, the weather, &c., 

 and it is readily illustrated by practical examples drawn from the work 



