or
etc. The child should always be able to describe what it has done: thus, the first child would say—four shells and one shell are five; the second, three shells and two shells are five, and so on.
Higher Numbers.—The analysis of six, seven, eight and nine may be taught in the same way, each number being taken separately and thoroughly mastered, before proceeding to the next. The children should learn all the different combinations of numbers that make six—three and three, five and one, four and two, three twos, etc.—but always with the objects, and when they have seen the number analyzed by the Teacher, they should do it for themselves with shells, bricks or other objects.
Number Ten.—This is the most important number of all, and it should be thoroughly well taught. The Teacher should show on the table the different analyses that can be made of ten, and the children should lay these with shells or other objects again and again. It is necessary to learn these perfectly, for however well any or all of the numbers may be learned, they are comparatively useless without ten.
Figures.—When the figures are introduced they should invariably be shown with the concrete numbers which each figure represents. They say, “Here are four balls”
“I will show you a figure that means those four balls, 4, and I will put the four balls beside it, thus:”—4
.