Introduction to Colour-Factor Mathematics, black and white printed paper, 1960s.

A sixteen page booklet, comprised of four folded sheets stapled at the centre. The front page features a high-angle, black and white photograph of two girls in school uniform with Colour-Factor blocks in front of them. They are writing with pencils and have constructed identical models using different length blocks.
The second page is a list of textbooks available with prices.
The remainder of the pamphlet is an extract from The Basic Colour Factor Guide by Seton Pollock. After an introduction, the main text is titled 'A Flying Start: An Illustrated Preface'.
Pollock describes how the use of colour made the existing wooden block models 'come alive'. The 'colour-factors... reveal vividly the factor-structure of the number-world'. At first, he writes, 'the blocks should be poured out on the desk or table', and children should be free to experiment, creating order out of the chaos. Later, they will spontaneously created patterns and groups, which lead on to formal teaching 'by asking questions and setting challenges - not by demonstrations and explanations'.
There are illustrated examples of how to use the blocks in Counting, Adding and Subtraction, Multiplication and Division and Fractions. 'The blocks can be used to make these operations simple and obvious'.

Given by Mark and Julie Miller

This pamphlet provides a brief introduction to the theory and methods of Colour-Factor mathematics, a structural system of maths teaching based on coloured wooden blocks of varying lengths. Devised by Seton Pollock, the method was designed to develop children's number-sense and fascination for numbers, without the burden of abstract and linguistic concepts.

B.319-2012