PLAY AND GAMES IN ARITHMETIC 229

PLAY AND GAMES IN ARITHMETIC.

BY MYRTIE COLLIER,California State Normal School^ Los Angeles.

Technique in the fundamental processes and the application ofnumber facts to the arithmetical problems of daily life is the aimof a large part of the instruction in the arithmetic of the elemen-tary schools. This aim necessitates a great amount of drill, butwith all the time spent in drill from the first grade through theeighth we are unable to reach the high standard of efficiency de-sired. The aim, however, is of little significance to the pupilunless the subject be made interesting. One of the great peda-gogical questions is how" to eliminate the waste of both time andenergy in the acquisition of. arithmetical knowledge. Could itbe that play or games in arithmetic would help to eliminate thiswaste by creating an interest on the part of the pupils ?Much has been done during the last few years with the sub-

ject of play in education by those particularly interested in childstudy. Regardless of the theory of the source of play, whether weagree with Spencer that it is the overflow of energy, or withG. Stanley Hall that it is an evolutionary process, or with Grossthat it is the outcropping of inherited instincts, we all recognize itsstrength and usefulness.We may use the play element in education either by intro-

ducing the playful into the work by making the pleasure in theactivity the motive power, or by performing the work throughreal play wliere the aim is superseded by enjoyment of the activityitself. Of the latter Gross says, "It can hardly be doubted thatthis is the highest and noblest form of work."

All so-called play is not necessarily play. Since there is joy inwork, and work in play, can the psychologist draw a hard and fastline between work and play? "President Eliot has enumeratedthe sources of joy in work as:

1. The pleasure of exertion.2. Achievement, particularly competitive achievement.3. Co-operation, involving harmony and rhythm.4. Exercise of judgment, intelligence, and skill.5. Encountering risks, danger, making adventure.

These five sources may also be the chief sources of pleasurein play."1 To make a success of the play element in educationthe teacher must have the playful spirit herself. She must be

l Charles W. Hunt, Teachers College Record.

230 SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

able to direct the play of children without destroying their free-dom and genuineness, to encourage what is good and useful, andto discourage that which is not only flippant but also injuriousand improper.Do not understand this discussion to be a plea for "soft peda-

gogy." That is not the aim. Nor is1 it an argument that theprinciples of arithmetic be developed through play. The prin-ciples should be inductively derived by the pupils of the class in

such a manner that all mystery in arithmetical operations be re-moved. This calls for a logical arrangement of subject-matter,and for a psychological presentation of each step. Such ar-rangement and presentation gives a pleasure to the work, but thatis a thing aside from play and drill although it is necessary forthe success of the latter.There are certain well established. facts about the play and

games of children upon which we may base our games in arith-metic. Young children like to play alone, later they play ingroups, and at a still later development games of competition’ andof conquest are the more attractive. To quote again C. W. Hunt,"It will be noted that play is not a thing by itself, but that itconcerns the expression of many kinds of instincts. Some ofthese are curiosity, personal power, bodily and mental activity,imitation, competition, ’construction, collecting, co-operation,rhythm, risk, and chance. A game should possess other appeal-ing qualities, such as freedom, pleasure-giving, spontaneity, sur-prise, variety, and difficulty. These elements cannot be combinedmechanically." Children of one environment fashion their playalong one line, and in another environment along another linealthough the principle of the play be. the same. For this reasonone should not use a set of games with a class of children unlessthe games are in some way connected with the environments ofthe class. Let each teacher, therefore, make her own games aftera thorough study of her pupils.

Last spring it was my pleasure to put through a little test inthe use .of games in arithmetic by the aid of a student of theNormal School working in the city schools. We selected thefourth grade. The pupils were very much interested in baseballat that season of the year and we outlined a baseball gameto be played w’ith numbers in which the children "played that theyplayed baseball." A short time before the city had been inter-ested in an automobile road race. A ro,ad race was outlined innumbers in which the racing was done in numbers instead of

LIVE SCIENCE TEACHERS 231

machines. Lastly the children fitted up a department store andplayed store, "care being taken by the teacher to see that the costof many of the articles was marked in fractions for a drill in theuse of fractions. In all these games the children were allowedthe freedom that is theirs by right, namely, to move about theroom and enjoy their work, but at the same time were led to seeand. respect the rights of others. Throughout the test a recordwas kept of the amount and grade of work done in formal drill,and in the drill through games. It was a positive test, showingthat the amount and accuracy of the work in the play surpassedthat in formal drill.As a word of caution may we-say that great care should be

taken that the pupils are not overworked in this form of drill.

A NOTICE FOR LIVE SCIENCE TEACHERS.

The writer is pursuing an inquiry into a problem of scienceteaching which involves the two general questions: (1) Thegeneral attitude of girls toward science studies, and (2) the re-sults of segregation of sex in this field of study. The informationwas not at hand that would have enabled direct communicationwith those teachers who were by observation and experience mostcapable of passing judgment. Therefore it was thought that anotice in this publication would not only reach those best qualifiedto give opinions but likewise would reach those of the craft whohave the problems of science teaching sufficiently at heart to co-operate. Incidently, it may be said that the writer believes this tobe a very pertinent problem at this time.Below are the questions, opinions on which from as many

science teachers as care to reply, would be gratefully received byW. W. D. Sones, Woolslair High School, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Name of School ��������.I. In your opinion is the general attitude of girls favorable or unfavor-

able toward science studies?(a) Which of the high school sciences appeals to them most?(b) Which least?(c) If you have had experience with general science classes, what

topics have you found the girls most interested in?(d) With the exception of the subject of physics do you think the in-

terests.of boys, and girls vary much ?

II. Has segregation of sex increased the efficiency of science work?(a) In what subjects?(b) Which was varied most when girls were taught separately, content,

or method of approach?. (c) What is the relative ability of boys and girls when each are in-terested?