Even if we do not make the most skillful use possible of these interests derived from the quantitative problems of sports, housekeeping, shopwork, dressmaking, self-management, other school studies, and school life and affairs, the gain will still be considerable. To have them in mind will certainly preserve us from giving to children of grades 3 and 4 problems so devoid of relation to their interests as those shown below, all found (in 1910) in thirty successive pages of a book of excellent repute:--
A chair has 4 legs. How many legs have 8 chairs? 5 chairs?
A fly has 6 legs. How many legs have 3 flies? 9 flies? 7 flies?
In 1890 New York had 1,513,501 inhabitants, Milwaukee had 206,308, Boston had 447,720, San Francisco 297,990. How many had these cities together?
Milton was born in 1608 and died in 1674. How many years did he live?
The population of a certain city was 35,629 in 1880 and 106,670 in 1890. Find the increase.
A number of others about the words in various inaugural addresses and the Psalms in the Bible.
It also seems probable that with enough care other systematic plans of textbooks can be much improved in this respect. From every point of view, for example, the early work in arithmetic should be adapted to some extent to the healthy childish interests in home affairs, the behavior of other children, and the activities of material things, animals, and plants.
FREQUENCY OF APPEARANCE OF CERTAIN WORDS ABOUT FAMILY LIFE, PLAY, AND ACTION IN EIGHT ELEMENTARY TEXTBOOKS IN ARITHMETIC, pp. 1-50.
================================================================ | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H ----------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- baby | | | | 2 | | 4 | | brother | 2 | | 6 | 1 | 1 | | 1 | family | | | 2 | | 2 | | 4 | father | 1 | | 3 | 5 | | 2 | 1 | help | | | | | | | | home | 2 | | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 mother | 4 | 2 | 9 | 5 | | 5 | 1 | 7 sister | | | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | fork | | | | | | | | knife | | | | | | | | plate | 4 | 2 | | 2 | | 1 | | spoon | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | doll | 10 | 1 | 10 | 6 | | 10 | | 9 game | 1 | | | 3 | | | 5 | 5 jump | | | | | | | | 4 marbles | 10 | 4 | 10 | | 10 | | 1 | play | | | 1 | | | 3 | | run | | | | | | 1 | | 3 sing | | | | | | | | tag | | | | | | | | toy | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | car | | | 2 | 4 | | 2 | 3 | 1 cut | | | 10 | | 6 | 2 | | 8 dig | | | | | | | 2 | flower | 1 | | | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | grow | | | | 1 | | | | plant | | | 2 | | | | | seed | | | | 3 | | | 1 | string | | | | | 1 | 10 | 1 | 1 wheel | 5 | | | | | 10 | | ================================================================