Figuring It Out:
Children’s Arithmetical Manuscripts
1680–1880
by John Denniss
Monograph, 59pp, illustrated. Until the end of the nineteenth century, some children receiving elementary education made fair copies of their arithmetical calculations in properly bound books that could be retained and referred to in adult life. Many of these have survived, but until now very little has been written about them. In this fully illustrated monograph, John Denniss traces their history and analyses their contents to reveal what they tell us about the way arithmetic was learnt and the roles of the teachers and textbooks in the process.
John Denniss was a mathematics teacher and lecturer in mathematical education for more than 30 years. He has developed a keen interest in the history of mathematics and has compiled a substantial collection of antiquarian mathematics books and children’s mathematical manuscripts. Originally from Kent, he is now retired and lives in Essex.
