THE NORTH AMERICAN ARITHMETIC. PART FIRST, FOR YOUNG LEARNERS. BY FREDERICK EMERSON, LATE PRINCIPAL IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ARITENETIS. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1838, by Frederick Emerson, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. PREFACE. In a systematic course of general education, Arithmetic claims a place among the primary objects. Its elementary exercises, when rationally conducted, are adapted to the capacities of children at a very early age. Its influence on the character of children, in developing the reasoning faculties, and habituating the mind to investigation, is highly conducive to progress in every other branch of knowledge. Notwithstanding the obvious truth of this remark, the practice of postponing arithmetic till children arrive at the age of nine or ten years, still prevails in many of our schools, and calls for the attention of those whose influence may correct the error. The purpose of this manual is, to facilitate the instruction of the younger classes. It contains the first part of a Course of Exercises in Arithmetic, which is published in three books, severally denominated, PART FIRST, PART SECOND, and PART THIRD. The method employed for illustrating the subject, it will be seen, is original and peculiar. PART FIRST is confined to the simple elements, and it may be advantageously used as an introduction to the subsequent study of arithmetic from any larger book now in common use. Learners will, however, find the steps of progress to be most gradual easy, and certain, in passing from this book immediately into Part Second. The lessons contained in Part First are all to be performed orally; the slate and pencil not being required. In the title-page will be seen a drawing of an improved structure of the Abacus. It is a convenient apparatus for illustrating the combinations of numbers; although it need not be used in teaching from this oook: its use is superseded by cuts and unit marks. Boston, August 1, 1838. F. E. This book is adopted in the Public Schools of the cities of Boston, Salem, Portland, Providence, New York, Philadelphia, and Louisville, by orders of the respective Boards of School Committee and Trustees. HARVARD COLLEGE JUN 4 1923 LIBRAT |