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Practical Geometry {An Instrument for Living Teaching}
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I am venturing into using Richele’s book this year as my guide to teaching math along CM’s principles, along with Ray’s to gently hold my hand along the way. My eldest child will be in 5th grade and I’d like to start working with her on Practical Geometry. Does anyone have suggestions for or thoughts on books that I might use as a guide, as with Ray’s for arithmetic?
Thank you so much.
Hi erin.kate,
Happily, practical geometry hasn’t changed and the books Charlotte’s schools used were very, very good and are now in the public domain. They are “Lessons in Experimental and Practical Geometry” by Hall and Stevens and “Practical Exercises in Geometry” by William Douglas Eggar.
Since they are in the public domain, you may find them easily either on (one of my favorite resources) Hathi Trust Digital Library , or Google Books. You may either print lessons from there or decide which one you like best and purchase either an old edition or a reprint. If you purchase a reprint, be sure that it has all the images.
You’ll also want a gridded notebook devoted just to practical geometry. I hope you and your daughter enjoy the lessons. They are some of our favorites.
Warmly,
Richele
p.s. Are you still keeping a blog? If so, do you mind sending me the url?
Oh, thank you, Richele. This is perfect! I think I’ll order some more main lesson books from A Toy Garden … some blue maths and the gridded geo books. Thank you! This will be a very satisfying year, I believe.
I haven’t blogged in a over a year, but I plan on it again this summer/fall. Here it is:
http://marmaladesorrow.weebly.com/
I’m eager to have a look at these geometry resources! Thank you, again, as always.
Richele, are those books listed in your math book? I’m just wondering if I should write them down or if they are listed in the book or on the DVD.
Good question, Holly. There is a section in the appendix of the book called “Living Math Books” where we’ve listed all the books used by Charlotte’s Students up through 1923. This section of the book also addresses the modern notion of “living math books” and dispels some common CM math myths. The dvd covers elementary arithmetic and geometry is discussed only in relation to Paper Sloyd so the geometry books weren’t mentioned therein.
Erin.kate, my preference is the Hall & Stevens as well but that’s purely a personal one. Thanks for the blog url.
And, cedargirl, I’m liking your new avatar 🙂
It’s so encouraging to know you are embracing CM’s methods and principles regarding mathematics. Each year is new for me as well and we’re just finishing up 5th and 7th grade. In my reading this morning on Charlotte Mason I came across a note she’d written in which she commented that “…teachers, as well as children, develop amazingly.”
Developing alongside you,
Richele
Thanks! I saved the books on my computer. I can’t wait to go through the book and dvd. 🙂 Math is one area we could use some improvement on!
So true, Richele; the growth in myself as well as in my children is amazing to witness. I’m grateful. I’ve always educated with Charlotte Mason and each year try to focus on something we can really turn our minds and hearts to more wholly … one year it was nature, one year narration, another year artists/composers/singing, etc and this year will be mathematics in many forms including (more) sloyd, practical geometry, and more fully embracing CM’s way with arithmetic and elementary maths. I’m actually excited for math! 🙂 Thank you!
So what year(s) would you think to teach practical geometry? We are a long ways from it, but I am trying to understand all this layout. Is this more middle school?
Hi Laurie,
Practical Geometry was taught in Year 5 & 6 (Form II) in Charlotte’s schools. It was one weekly 30-minute lesson where the students learned to handle tools like a protractor through practical exercises in drawing and measurement. In this way, the student “discovers” fundamental ideas in geometry and forms relationships that are built upon once Formal Geometry is begun.
Because my children are two years apart, I held off a bit on Practical Geometry so that they could take it together. They are happy lessons here. For example, after having worked with lines, in an early lesson we ask, “Can two straight lines enclose a space?” The children, taking what they know of lines, make drawings in their math notebook to discover the answer. Once discovered, they write the “rule” out in their own words in the notebook.
Best,
Richele
My two oldest are also two years apart, entering years 5 and 3 (ages almost 11 and 9) … this is food for thought, Richele. Perhaps I’ll wait another year to start this with them together. Thanks for always keeping me thinking. 🙂
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