Just as the thought involved in physics, astronomy, or engineering
needs to be put in mathematical terms in order that it may be used
effectively, so must it be with effective vocational, civic, and
economic thinking in general. Our chief need is not so much the
ability to do calculations as it is the ability to think in
figures and the habit of thinking in figures. Calculations, while
indispensable, are incidental to more important matters.
Naturally before one is prepared to use mathematical forms of thought
in considering the many social and vocational problems, he must have
mastered the fundamentals. The elementary school, at as early an
age as practicable, should certainly give the necessary preliminary
knowledge of and practice in the fundamental operations of arithmetic.
This should be done with a high degree of thoroughness, but it should
always be kept in mind that this is only a preliminary mastery of the
alphabet of mathematical thinking. The other part of our problem is a
development of the quantitative aspects of the vocational, economic,
and civic subjects. One finds clear recognition of this in Cleveland
in the new arithmetic manual. The following quotations are typical:
"The important problem of the seventh and eighth grades is to
enable the pupils to understand and deal intelligently with the most
important social institutions with which arithmetical processes are
associated.
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