IV. AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF 

 DRILL IN ARITHMETICAL PROCESSES UNDER 

 VARYING CONDITIONS 



By Herman Wimmer, Superintendent of Schools, Rochelle, 111. 



Introduction. — This study of the conditions and effects of drill 

 was made with the pupils of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth 

 grades at Bremen, Ind. These grades averaged about thirty-five 

 pupils each, except the sixth grade, which had forty-four pupils. 

 The sixth grade was divided for this work into two groups equal 

 in number and apparently equal in ability. The two sections of 

 this grade were designated as 6E and 6W. 



As a measure of efficiency the Courtis Standard Test, Series 

 A, was used. Each grade was given the first test at the beginning 

 of the twelve weeks of work. At the end of six weeks the second 

 test was given to all, and at the end of twelve weeks all were given 

 the third test. 



The papers of all pupils who missed any one of the three tests 

 were discarded. All of the tests were given by the writer and all 

 of the papers were scored by him or under his direction. 



The arrangement of the drill for the several grades is shown in 

 Table I. The time for drill was always subtracted from the regular 

 class time devoted to arithmetic. 



TABLE I.— SCHEME OF DRILL 





First six weeks 



Second six weeks 



Grade 5 



5 minutes daily 



5 minutes daily. 



Grade 6E 



5 minutes daily; | reasoning, | 

 fundamentals. 



Same as first six weeks. Speed 

 emphasized. 



Grade 6W 



15 once per week, f to reasoning, 

 f to fundamentals. 



Same as 6E. Accuracy empha- 

 sized. 



Grade 7 



No drill 



5 minutes daily on reasoning. 







Grade 8 



No drill 



5 minutes daily on fundamentals. 







The chief results are shown in Tables II to IV and in the 

 more analytic tables later on. In these tables the number of 

 problems solved is not given in any case. All figures used are 

 per cents. These per cents are the gains made by the pupils 

 over the grades made on the similar tests taken six weeks earlier. 



