NEW WORK BY THE REV. JAMES CURRIE, AUTHOR OF “COMMON SCHOOL-EDUCATION,” “EARLY EDUCATION,” ETC,

A PRACTICAL ARITHMETIC FOR ELEMENTARY

SCHOOLS. Price 1s. 6d. ; or in Two Parts, at 6d. and 1s. each. ANSWERS to the same, 1s.

This treatise is designed to serve as a text-book for pupils up till twelve years of age. It comprises, therefore, all that is needed by the pupils of common schools, and by those of higher schools till they have completed their elementary education.

The treatise is not one of theory, since the instruction of pupils up till that age must be, in the main, practical: on the other hand, it is not a collection of examples alone, since the only practical instruction worthy of the name is that which sets the processes before them in a rational way. It endeavours to present that combination of theory with practice which constitutes the highest merit of an elementary text-book. The explanations are given concisely, and in the form in which they are likely to be apprehended by the pupil at the earliest possible moment; whilst the exercises for practice will be found to be exceedingly numerous and very carefully graduated.

In particular, Notation and the four elementary operations, on a satisfactory knowledge of which the pupil's subsequent progress depends, are treated with great fulness. An introductory text-book of Arithmetic should not be a mere condensation of a higher one; but should devote the space which it gains from the omission of certain of the more advanced rules to the ampler treatment of those which are fundamental. Where the arithmetic of a school is weak at all, it is in these rules that the weakness almost invariably lies; and it is in these rules, according to the testimony of all competent authorities, that the most material improvement in the teaching of the subject is to be looked for.

In the arrangement of the book the author has kept in view the Standards of the Revised Code, and those conducting schools under the Code will find it well suited to is requirements.

"This is by far the best elementary Arithmetic which I have yet seen-combining as it does a just regard to the theory of the various rules with a clear perception of the practical necessities of the schoolroom. The lessons on Notation, a subject too little dwelt upon by many teachers in the earlier stages, are particularly good and full. The exercises are of the most varied sort, and very skilfully constructed."-SIMON 8. LAURIE, Sec. General Assembly's Education Committee, and Dick Bequest Visitor.

"The friends of elementary education will hail with satisfaction the appearance in this field of an author of such extensive experience and acquirements as Mr Currie; and will expect to find in his work that just combination of the philo-ophical and practical which is so characteristic of his other writings. The book will not disappoint them..... It is thoroughly practical-simple in language, accurate in explanation, and very methodical. The pupil's knowledge is well tested and advanced by the excellent set of exercises appended to each section."-Museum.

FIRST STEPS IN ARITHMETIC: Being the first 64 pages

of the above. Price 6d.

38 COCKBURN STREET, EDINBURGH.

SPE

PELLING AND DICTATION CLASS - BOOK: With

Etymological Exercises By an INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS. Fcap. 8vo, Cloth Boards, price ls. 6d.

The Compiler has aimed above all at judicious omission in constructing this Class. book. He has had in view the collecting together, in a classified form, of all the more difficult words in common use. Words difficult but rarely met with by the ordinary reader are better learned as they occur in the course of reading, and after the pupil has obtained an accurate knowledge of the great mass of words that occur in daily conversation, in newspapers, and in current literature.

It is presumed that the pupil into whose hands this book is put has already been accustomed to spell from his daily lessons for some years, and also to write simple sentences from dictation. He will find here a revisal of the knowledge acquired, and & test of it.

The pupil is understood to learn the columns of words by heart as a home-task, and to copy on his slate, either at home or during school hours, the dictation exercises; writing them afterwards from the dictation of the master. Writing to aictation will never be thoroughly acquired unless the pupils prepare dictation lessons at home, just as they prepare their grammar or geography.

The spelling rules have been reduced to three.

The dictation exercises in this book have been so constructed as to convey knowledge as well as to teach spelling.

Masters will find that a dictation book of this kind will afford muoh better material for the daily writing lessons than the wearisome and unmeaning repet tion of words commonly found in copy-books. As soon as a scholar can write small-text fairly, his copy should, frequently at least, if not always, be a portion of his dictation book. In this way he will not only gain a more sure and rapid mastery over the art of writing, but he will learn other things at the same time.

It is scarcely necessary to apologise for the etymological portion of the volume, as a knowledge of prefixes and affixes bas a close connexion with accurate and intelligent spelling. The Compiler has, except in this one respect, carefully avoided the almost universal error of confounding a spelling-book proper with either a reading-book, on the one hand, or a bad dictionary of signification, on the other. The Dictation Exercises are so selected and constructed as to afford the means of giving lessons in the writing of précis or abstracts.

CONTENTS,

FIRST PART. Section I.--Difficult Monosyllables, and Section V.-Words not sounded alike, Exercises on them.

but apt to be confounded in spelling, Section II.-Spelling Rules, and Exer- with Exercises on them. Exercises on cises on them.

Possessive Case. Cautions. Section III.-Difficult Dissyllables, and Section VI.-Alphabetical List of Diffi. Exercises on them.

cult Polysyllables. Section IV.-Words sounded alike, but Section VII. - Etymology - Prefixes

spelled differently, and Exercises on Affixes - Roots - Compound Roots, them.

with numerous Exercises.

SECOND PART. Miscellaneous Dictation Exercises.

Words mis-spelt by Candidates for tho Extracts from Newspapers.

Civil Service. Forms of Letters,

Latin and French Phrases in common use. From W. F. COLLIER, Lsq., LL.D., Edinburgh Academy. “It is an admirable book. I know of none in which the difficulties of English spelling, are presented to the learner with so much point and plainness, and in such a workable shape for class instruction." From R. DUNNING, Esq., Professor of the Art of Teaching, Home and

Colonial Society's Training College London, “I have no hesitation in say

bok of the kind wo possess. I shall bave great pl

ts."

38 COCK

H.