Clifford Woody

The Arithmetical Backgrounds of Young Children

The purpose of this report is to present some results obtained from an investigation designed to ascertain facts concerning the amount of arithmetical knowledge and skill possessed by children in the primary grades at the time at which formal instruction in arithmetic is introduced. For this investigation the time at which formal instruction is introduced was specified as the time at which a definite period in the teaching schedule is set aside for presenting facts and concepts according to a definitely schematized plan. The emphasis on systematized instruction in a period specifically set aside for such instruction differentiates it from incidental instruction which is given in response to the number needs often encountered in primary classrooms. Furthermore, formal instruction was described as planned and organized, but it was pointed

The Individual Laboratory Versus the Demonstration Method of Teaching Physics

The purpose of this experiment is to set forth the results of an attempt in the Hillsdale high school (Michigan) to evaluate the merits of the individual laboratory method and the demon stration method of teaching physics. In the individual labora tory method each student or group of two students performs each experiment while in the demonstration method the in structor, with the aid of one or two students, demonstrates the experiment and the students get its import through observation and discussion rather than through actual performance. No dif ference is manifest between the two methods in the early part of the experiment. With both methods the same preliminary read ing assignments are made and when the classes assemble the same type of short quizzes are given to test the effectiveness of their reading and their understanding of the new terms of the experi ment. It is from this point on that the procedure with the two methods is different.

Intrinsic difficulties of certain reading materials

b. Emphasis upon materials dealing with his immediate environment and the social order to which he belongs and should eventually contribute, c. Wide reading choice which would permit and encourage him to read on his own level of appreciation, and d. Intelligent help in understanding the finer values of literature so that the level may become steadily higher; and 5. Sympathetic oral reading, artistically done, so that the auditory values of literature may come alive. That as teachers of literature we have failed in many instances in our long centuries of opportunity, we admit; that we can succeed, we have faith. Probably we have been too earnest in our endeavor to lead our students into the more esoteric joys of high and serious literature, and that

Attempts at measurement of meaningful experience as a factor conditioning achievement in reading

The teachers of the Bastrop School are firmly convinced that the class of work being done in our school is greatly improved since we instituted this reading program. They believe they are getting more work done with less trouble and worry and insist that they do not have nearly as many problem pupils as before. I have noticed one fact that I believe can be traced to our improvement in reading. All of our pupils from the junior class in high school down have had some of this special training in reading since we first started it five years ago. Last year our percentage of failures in high school which had varied from eight per cent to ten per cent for several years dropped off suddenly to 4.4 per cent. And this year we had less than one per cent (.98 per cent to be exact) subject failures in high school. Since we have made no other special effort in our school to reduce failures I cannot attribute this fact to any cause other than the fact that we are developing pupils who are efficient in the reading process.

Holding an Even Keel

Charters and Ashbaugh in the two preceding papers, have described the founding of the Journal and the policy as originally announced. This policy was then and is still good. As interest in research increased and became more diversified, however, the problem of publishing a journal that appealed equally to the technically trained and to the practical research worker became more and more perplexing. The Journal has tried to follow the middle ground: to avoid both the over-technical and the routine types of research; to encourage the specialist to work on problems of interest to the schoolman, and to present his contribution in such a fashion that it can be understood by the layman; and to stimulate the contributions of the practical research worker on other than routine types of research. If any partiality has been shown it has been for the more practical types of research. The Journal, from its inception, has placed its emphasis on practical research, and the Editorial Board has exercised constant care to see that the

Application of Scientific Method in Evaluating the Subject Matter of Spellers

Within the last decade the dominant note in educational theory has been the social point of view?that the needs of society should furnish the end points of education and should serve as a basis for the selection of subject matter. This philosophy has been urged as applicable to all phases of educational activity and the insistence on its application has resulted in many recent investiga tions to determine scientifically the needs of society and the conse quent subject matter. In no field have these investigations been more fruitful than in spelling and the educational theorist can look with great satisfaction upon the scientifically determined lists of most commonly used words representing the social need for spelling. But the realization of his hope has merely begun, for these scientifically determined lists of most commonly used words will have little influence until they have been incorporated into the spellers which are used throughout the length and breadth of this country, since the textbook has become such a dominant force in the life of the American teacher that it tends to determine the aims, the subject matter, and the method of instruction. The use of the properly constructed textbook then is the real answer to the theorists demand for emphasis on the social point of view. The present study was undertaken to show the possibility of evaluating the subject matter of spellers and of scientifically selecting a book having its vocabulary made up of the most commonly used words. It represents a comparison of the Ander son list of most commonly used words?a list containing 3,105 words used 5 or more times selected from the 361,184 running words which composed the contents of 3,723 business and social letters written by adults?and the vocabularies of five widely used