Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic Book 1

The Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic Series: Book 1

Rated 5.00 out of 5 based on 24 customer ratings

$43.95 – $54.95

Short, engaging, interactive lessons that guide your young student to a solid understanding of addition and subtraction through 100.

Also available in a bundle with everything you need. See full description

Download a Free Sample

Add to wishlist

SKU: VAR-arith1 Category: Math Tag: Grade 1 Brand: Simply Charlotte Mason

Product Description

Book 1 is also available in a bundle with manipulatives, supplies, and a gridded math notebook.

These short, multi-sensory lessons will help your child gain a solid understanding of numbers through 100, including addition and subtraction of double digits, and lay a sure foundation for success in thinking mathematically.

For grade 1 you will need The Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic Series, Book 1, and a Math Notebook for your child (3/4″ or 1/2″ grid recommended). Add the optional Book 1 Kit for a handy and ready-to-go collection of objects recommended in the lessons.

Charlotte Mason’s Approach to Elementary Arithmetic

Charlotte Mason’s beginning math lessons seem to be tailor made for an early elementary child.

Lessons are mainly oral and are carefully graduated, with your child answering small word problems within her understanding (no reading required). She works out the problems in a hands-on way using a variety of common, everyday objects. This straightforward but interesting teaching guides your child to make discoveries on her own.

A grid notebook is used as the student’s math notebook, in which she records the math concepts she has discovered. Writing is used sparingly, so the effort of handwriting does not overshadow the math concept being grasped.

Progression of the lessons is adjusted to the pace that fits your child best, so you can go slowly enough to build understanding and comfort in the math concepts but not so slowly that the child becomes bored.

Short, lively lessons reinforce a habit of concentrated attention while not overtaxing the child’s ability to sit still. Each day’s work goes no longer than 20 minutes, with fifteen minutes focused on the newest math concept and the remaining five for review.

Book 1 Features

The lessons in The Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic Series, Book 1, follow Charlotte Mason’s philosophy and methods for teaching math as outlined above. In Book 1 you will find

Day-by-day lessons, so you can guide your student with confidence;
Straightforward instructions, so you (or any other teacher) can open and go with no prep time;
End-of-term exams that can be customized according to where your child is in the lessons;
Helpful reminders and teaching tips, so you can be sure you’re teaching math in a Charlotte Mason way;
A beautiful and durable hard cover that will stand up well to many years of enjoyable math lessons;
Cross-references to Charlotte Mason’s Living Math: A Guided Journey DVD set, so you can see the methods demonstrated and be prepared for upcoming lessons;
A full year of math for students in grade 1 or excellent review lessons for older students who need to strengthen their understanding of math concepts;
A non-consumable resource that will make a wonderful addition to your home library and can be used with all of your children.

Arithmetic Concepts in Book 1

In The Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic Series, Book 1, your child will gain a solid understanding of these arithmetic concepts.

Counting 1 through 100
Investigation and analysis of 1 through 100
Numerals 0 through 9
Symbols +, –, and =
Place value through 100
Numeration and notation through 100
Money through $1 (penny, nickel, dime, quarter, dollar)
Addition through double digits
Subtraction through double digits
Skip counting
Review and oral work
Mental math

The Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic Series

Book 1: Exploration of Numbers to 100
Book 2: The Four Rules and Tables/Work with Numbers to 1000
Book 3: Tables continued/Work with Numbers to 10,000
Book 4: Long Multiplication & Division/Weights & Measures
Book 5: Decimals; Fractions; Factors
Book 6: Decimals & Fractions (continued); Percentages; Ratios; Proportions

Placing Your Student

Download the placement guide to determine where your child should begin.

Additional Information

Product Baseline

Author	Richele Baburina
Binding	E-book, Hardcover
Charter-Friendly	Maybe
Grade	Grade 1
Pages	272

Specification

Lesson Plan	Individual Studies, Grade 1

Dimensions

Weight	1.1 lbs
Dimensions	8 × 5.5 × 1 in

24 reviews for The Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic Series: Book 1

Rated 5 out of 5
Jill Cain – November 4, 2017
I absolutely love this Math series! I have been waiting for years for a Math series like this to be created and it is everything that I have been wanting in a Charlotte Mason math curriculum. It covers everything that I want to cover exactly the way that I have always done Math with my children only it is in a modern, yet simple and easy-to-use approach. I have been homeschooling for 20+ years and I wish this would have been available with my older kids. My youngest will begin this book next year and my first grader is using it now. This will be my Math curriculum from now on.
Rated 5 out of 5
Jo – November 22, 2017
Wonderful! Can I put in a request / suggestion? It would be lovely to have the original handbook released in hardback to match the arithmetic books making it part of the set. The handbook gets a lot of use and a hardback might hold up to it better…as well as look gorgeous! Pretty please?!
Rated 5 out of 5
Allison – November 22, 2017
Oh my! Beautiful…wonderful…an answer to prayers! I have been using the Mathematics Book and DVD bundle for my older son and jumped at the chance to purchase this beautiful resource when it became available for my younger. Not only is the content so thoughtfully done with the child in mind, the book itself is “book shelf” worthy. No detail is left out. The end papers, the 2 bookmarks, the weight and feel of the paper! Everything is extraordinary. Thank you so much for this resource and I eagerly await the remaining books in the series.
Rated 5 out of 5
Michele – November 22, 2017
This is wonderfully done! Please, please republish the handbook in hardcover as well! Just add an index😬💜
Rated 5 out of 5
Farra – November 25, 2017
Its wonderful! when will the other books be available?
- Jordan Smith – November 27, 2017
  We don’t have a release date yet but Richele Baburina is writing the second book now. When it’s ready we’ll announce it on our blog and in our weekly e-mails.
Rated 5 out of 5
Brittney McGann – November 26, 2017
My daughter and I had the great privilege to be beta-testers for Book 1 of the Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic Series. When we started my daughter was a couple months shy of six, very chatty and seldom still, but she was insistent that she begin her own lessons just like her sister. She knew only what she had picked up by the way, so Richele’s book was her very first experience with lessons of any kind. Very slowly we worked our way through the numbers, learning how we could add or subtract; discovering how many ways we could divide the number being learned into groups, and learning to count forward and backward with ease. For counters we used buttons, beads, pennies and dimes, or whatever caught Fiona’s attention that day. I had to change the subject for all the word problems to kittens for a few lessons, but because everything is laid out so clearly I was able to keep my focus on my student. I learned how to draw her attention back to the problem at hand to stretch her just a little bit, but I also learned to watch her cues to tell me it was time to put math aside for the day. This curriculum isn’t written by lesson, but by numbers studied, so we can move at our own pace without pressure. I have watched my child’s confidence grow and I can see the pleasure she takes in her own understanding. I am confident that my daughter has a solid foundation to build upon and I know that continuing with Richele’s books will only deepen her joy and appreciation for the created beauty revealed through mathematics.
Rated 5 out of 5
Sandy Krout – January 9, 2018
What a pleasure it is to be able to confidently teach my children the way Charlotte did. Thank you for the time and effort you put into creating this book for us. The language used is lovely as well.
Rated 5 out of 5
Alexis – February 13, 2018
This approach to math has been revolutionary for our family. My daughter has tried 5 different math curriculums before this, and while the last one we tried “got the job done” better than previous methods, there were still tears daily, and many times where it was clear that the concepts just weren’t there. I purchased this book primarily for my son (1st grade) but ended up starting over with my daughter (3rd grade). While it is still definitely hard work for her, I’ve been delighted with her progress. I finally feel confident that we are moving forward with a solid footing. She will finish the book in a few more weeks, then we will be eagerly awaiting Books 2 and 3. And she also finally feels confident! She has begun giving herself problems at random times (not school time) to work out in her head and she’ll ask for the answer to see if she got it right. For my son, who is more naturally adept at grasping math concepts, it has also been a good challenge. Instead of breezing through worksheets, he is building habits of concentration and attention in addition to excellent mental math skills and fluency with basic addition/subtraction problems. I also have two younger sons and I’m delighted that this can be used with them, as well, as it is not a “consumable” resource. Thank you so much to Richelle Baburina and the whole team at SCM for this incredibly valuable and deeply appreciated resource!! P.S. I forgot to mention it is also an aesthetically lovely book that is a pleasure to look at and handle.
Rated 5 out of 5
Blythe – March 21, 2018
This book has helped our home so much. Having begun my homeschool journey using CM – my oldest is Form 1B this year – math was the one piece I was perplexed about, even with the Math Book & DVD bundle.
I’m so thankful for this math book! I’m so looking forward for the next book in the series.
Rated 5 out of 5
mossyarmywife27 – April 11, 2018
I used to spend an hour (each) teaching both my sons their math curriculum’s. After math and language there left little time for any other type schooling not to mention my other three little boys. I was having to spend countless hours preparing and printing, they enjoyed all the hands on activities but I couldn’t keep up. So I then found Ray’s Arithmetic we loved the short lessons and having oral lessons instead of worksheets was a nice change of pace. I loved that it was open and go but it had it’s flaws. I felt like it wasn’t very clear on how to use even with the manual and it was out of date but the concept was sound. Then I found this and I jumped for joy. It’s the same concept but its laid out in a beautiful manner and works well with the modern child without losing its classical focus. It’s a very hands on gentle approach just prefect for squirmy little boys, I wish I could have learned math in this way. I’m using it with both my 3rd grader and my 1st grader. My 3rd grader is moving much more quickly but it’s so nice to be able to use one book with all my kids. I got some large wooden numbers and buttons for my other boys (ages: 3,2,1) to play with at “math time” and have introduced number one to my 3 year old and he very happily will write 1 on his slate. I am so grateful for this resource, thank you!
Rated 5 out of 5
Allie – April 17, 2018
This book is amazing! A couple months ago I started this book with my 9 year old. I was hoping this book could strengthen her math foundation, and it has exceeded my expectations!! I love how the student (and teacher) can study each number. It’s so simple and strait forward, and can easily be tailored to each child’s needs and interests. With this book, there is no way a child could not feel confident in math. I believe it is more important for a child to love math and feel that they are capable in the subject, than to keep them “on schedule” with other kids in their grade or age group. We are praying for the next book to come out soon!
Rated 5 out of 5
Paige – May 28, 2018
What an excellent book. I finally found a math curriculum my son with dyslexia understands and enjoys. Having struggled with math myself all through school, I actually find myself looking forward to facilitating arithmetic to my children! We are eagerly awaiting the release of Books 2-5!
Rated 5 out of 5
Heater – June 10, 2018
I echo the reviews that the resulting relationship you feel with numbers after going through the book is astounding. It has exceeded all of my expectations. My children actually LOVE math and numbers (they get that from mom) but even so I honestly don’t want to teach them any other way now. My only sadness is I have an 11 and 8 year old to teach and the books will take longer to write then I have to teach elementary math. I wish they had been written 10 years ago. ❤
The up side is my younger ones will get all of them. I cannot recommend these enough – for both math loving and math challenged children and adults alike. Thank you Rachel! And about how long will it take to finish all of the elementary series? Wondering if i should hold out for them for my older ones or of that is futile considering timeline?
Rated 5 out of 5
Laura – August 30, 2018
My 3rd grader is very learning challenged in math, so that she was in tears every single day! I ordered the full math set with all the manipulatives and dry erase board and everything, and she is finally learning without tears! We are taking it very slow, no need to rush… and the book is a perfect guide for me! Thank you! I know I will use it for the younger ones too and maybe even her 4th grade sister for some review!
Rated 5 out of 5
Mandy – October 15, 2018
My 6 year old daughter and I really enjoy working from this book. We had tried several other curricula in kindergarten and pre-k (before discovering CM), but this one is unlike any other. I love the focus on oral work, attention, and the beauty of mathematics. She loves handling real money as a manipulative, ten bundles, and the special “treat” of writing sums at the end of a lesson. Thanks for this resource! We are both really enjoying math and are excited for the following volumes to be released.
Rated 5 out of 5
Crystal – November 21, 2019
I love this math! It is everything I hoped for, and more!
Rated 5 out of 5
Brittany – January 19, 2021
I purchased this book a few years ago when we were looking into different curriculum options and while it seemed like a charming and nice idea to me, I didn’t really know if that was our “style”. Well, fast foward a couple years and I had gone through a couple of popular math curricula that included workbooks because I wanted something that could eventually be “independent”. Each day we would pull out our math and my little girl would dutifully fill in blanks which I nudged her along in K and 1st. I now realize that young children don’t need independent, they need mom to gently guide them forward. Well, we ordered a mastery approach math for her 2nd grade year that tons of people love and in a short couple of weeks, my academia-loving, dutiful daughter was sitting with her head in her hands having no idea how to add, even though she had been doing it for 2 years (did I mention that she would have to fill in 4 pages worth of blanks on a daily basis?). Nothing had stuck and what’s more, I got this sinking feeling that I wasn’t teaching her math so much as I was teaching her how to fill in a workbook. Frustration!
So I pulled out Ray’s Arithmetic (another of my charming purchases) and we started in on that, but I felt I needed more guidance. So I purchased the Living Math DVD by SCM and watched it, spellbound by how simply and efficiently and effectively elementary math could be presented. So I pulled my SCM Arithmetic book 1 out and started at the beginning. It was a learning curve for both of us. At one point she said “This math is harder because I have to think.” haha! Yes! This is a good thing! Since then, she has gotten used to manipulating numbers and working things out (actually *using* math) instead of just filling in blanks. And what’s more, this method actually teaches more in one lesson than any fill-in-the-blank workbook can hope to do. Instead of having pages dedicated to one skill at a time (like counting, then skip counting, categorizing, grouping, money, etc) my child is using all these skills naturally without even realizing that it’s what she’s doing. These are real life questions where she has to *think* and find the solution. And what’s amazing is that I can see her mind working. There are sometimes multiple ways to come to an answer and you just watch see them work it out. And when we work it out on the gridded paper, it already makes sense.
Are there days when things are frustrating? Sure. Are there days when she feels stumped? Yes. So then we do a problem that I know she can do so that we end on a note of success, we put the book away and then open it back up the next day.
Along the way, when I had ditched the workbooks, I felt panic that I was taking this different path. Could I trust it? Do I really believe in this? The answer is “YES!” This works! My children (I have since started using it with my 1st grader also) actually talk about math in relation to real life all the time now. They make up problems and ask each other. They make up questions for me because it’s fun.
Put away the panic and just enjoy discovering arithmetic together. One pebble at a time, one question at a time, one button or penny or bean at a time.
And yes, this beautiful little book feels quite charming every time I hold it. Thank you SO much for going through whatever grueling publication process you had to go through so that you could offer this curriculum. Thank you.
Rated 5 out of 5
Emily – February 22, 2021
This math curriculum has given my 6 yo such a solid base to build on. I’m so very thankful we found it before slogging along through anything else. We have now moved into Book 2, and Math is enjoyable, and very easily understood and mastered. Thank you, thank you! for the hard work and diligence to put this out. We love it and look forward to using it with our next students!
Rated 5 out of 5
Angelia – March 10, 2021
Like so many older moms, I am lamenting that my older kids didn’t have the benefit of this curriculum. My kindergartner is math advanced just from watching “Number Blocks”, and so this started a little easy for him, but we stuck it out letting him build confidence. Now that we are 2/3 in working through the 30s, it’s more challenging to do the addition and subtraction orally. I didn’t realize this was a first grade book. I pumped the brakes slightly not working on it every day. We will likely start first grade finishing up this book and move into the next. All I can say is this is the most straightforward math curriculum I have ever used, with lessons of appropriate length, and sufficiently challenging. It makes me feel very confident about my ability to teach math – something I have never had. And the book feels good in the hand, like something precious. Worth the higher price tag.
Rated 5 out of 5
Christinawinell – April 8, 2021
We do not dread math!
Mathematics is not my strong point as a mother or as my children’s leader in their learning process and when I started homeschooling three years ago I really believed there would come a day when I would have to “surrender” my children to someone else’s teaching. I can see a future for us now thanks to the Elementary Arithmetic series. We have gone through book one at a snails pace, no more than 20 minutes a day, so we are just now at the end of their 2nd grade year and we will finish it this year. I do not have any regrets about going that slowly. I have learned along with them ways to do math I never was taught in public school and we are all better for it. My children are both very strong in their ability to do mental math, make change, and their attention to detail is wonderful. We are looking forward to book 2 this coming year!
Rated 5 out of 5
Danielle Chappell – April 14, 2023
This is such a fantastic method. I had my doubts at first but after trusting the process, my first grader has no problem doing double digit mental math. For his K5 year, we used singapore math which at the time, I thought was great but he was starting to count on his fingers and was distracted by the colorful workbook pages, and resisting writing the numbers over and over. I changed to CM math book 1 for this year and it has been awesome. He’s able to focus on building basic skills in arithmetic and truly enjoys it. The lessons are the perfect length for us. We’re almost done with book 1 and I already ordered book 2 in anticipation of next year! Trust the process, trust how simple it is…it’s an awesome method. Charlotte Mason really understood how the mind of a child develops and math is no exception.
Rated 5 out of 5
Rachel Nelson – September 3, 2023
My 5.5 year old BEGS to do a math lesson even on the weekends with this book. The lessons are short, easy to complete at the kitchen counter, and honestly, fun.
Rated 5 out of 5
Mallory – November 26, 2023
Well done, Richele. Thank you for this beautiful resource!
Rated 5 out of 5
Calley – March 30, 2025
My 6 year old placed in the middle of this book for grade 1, but we started at the beginning to help us get acclimated to our schedule without the stress of learning something new. We zoomed through the first half of the book in about a month and went more slowly through the second half. We finished this book in January with a very solid understanding of numbers up to 100.
My daughter loved that we could easily swap names, objects, or animals in the many word problems. When something wasn’t clicking, I made the next question be about penguins and suddenly it clicked!
I loved the simple, straightforward approach to this book. It makes absolute sense to get a good feel for the number 1 before moving on to the number 2 and so on. Also, I love that this book requires very little writing. The hardcover book is beautiful and will last through many more children.
My husband was home one day while we were doing math and commented that he loved this math curriculum. I asked how he knew since this was his first time hearing a lesson. He said that he liked the real-world wording of the sums (Examples: What is 7 taken from 29? You have 25 stickers and lose 3, how many do you have now? You and your sister each have 11 stuffed animals, how many all together?) The wording changes to help cement that we add and subtract using more than just + and -.
We are happily cruising through book 2 now!