The Psychology of ArithmeticThorndike, Edward L. (Edward Lee)
Science
The Psychology of Arithmetic
Thorndike, Edward L. (Edward Lee)
Arithmetic -- Study and teaching
We must remember that all our systematizing and labeling is largely
without meaning to the pupils. They cannot at any point appreciate the
system as a progression from that point toward this and that, since they
have no knowledge of the 'this or that.' They do not as a rule think of
their work in grade 4 as an outcome of their work in grade 3 with
extensions of a to a_1, and additions of b_2 and b_3 to b and b_1, and
refinements of c and d by c_4 and d_5. They could give only the vaguest
account of what they did in grade 3, much less of why it should have
been done then. They are not much disturbed by a lack of so-called
'system' and 'logical' progression for the same reason that they are not
much helped by their presence. What they need and can use is a
_dynamically_ effective system or order, one that they can learn easily
and retain long by, regardless of how it would look in a museum of
arithmetical systems. Unless their actual arithmetical habits are
usefully related it does no good to see the so-called logical relations;
and if their habits are usefully related, it does not very much matter
whether or not they do see these; finally, they can be brought to see
them best by first acquiring the right habits in a dynamically effective
order.
DECREASING INTERFERENCE AND INCREASING FACILITATION
Psychology offers no single, easy, royal road to discovering this
dynamically best order. It can only survey the bonds, think what each
demands as prerequisite and offers as future help, recommend certain
orders for trial, and measure the efficiency of each order as a means of
attaining the ends desired. The ingenious thought and careful
experimentation of many able workers will be required for many years to
come.
Psychology can, however, even now, give solid constructive help in many
instances, either by recommending orders that seem almost certainly
better than those in vogue, or by proposing orders for trial which can
be justified or rejected by crucial tests.
Consider, for example, the situation, 'a column of one-place numbers to
be added, whose sum is over 9,' and the response 'writing down the sum.'
This bond is commonly firmly fixed before addition with two-place
numbers is undertaken. As a result the pupil has fixed a habit that he
has to break when he learns two-place addition. If _oral_ answers only
are given with such single columns until two-place addition is well
under way, the interference is avoided.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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