ABOUT – Educational Solutions (UK) Ltd

The Cuisenaire® Company was founded in May 1954 in Reading Berkshire.
It was the first of the companies founded by Dr Caleb Gattegno when he embarked on his mission to bring the news of Monsieur Georges Cuisenaire's invention to schools and teachers around the world.

The Company's first headquarters was a flat in Milman Road, Reading and the operation was run by Miss Florence Parker, later Mrs Florence Carter - described by Dr Gattegno as the 'Mother' of the Company.

The picture to the right shows Quinten Hogg, then minister for Education discussing mathematics with Mrs Carter.

Florence Carter organised the manufacture of the rods; their distribution; promotion through educational exhibitions and courses for teachers and even taking parcels to the post office.

A few years later she also acquired for the company the property at 11 Crown Street, Reading.

In the meantime, Dr Gattegno was fully occupied giving courses to teachers throughout the UK and overseas, whilst simultaneously writing guidebooks for teachers and the pupils' text book series.

As he worked in one country after another, new branches of our company were established in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Israel and Germany. Agencies were appointed in all of these places and his books were translated into all of these languages.

The demand for Cuisenaire Rods had grown considerably and the property at Crown Street was transformed into a factory/warehouse, with adequate accomodation for staff in sales, accounts and customer service. Demonstrators were appointed whose function was to provide help and give courses on the use of the rods to schools throughout the UK.

Articles appeared in the educational press in Britain and around the world and in the early 1960's the popular 'Tonight' programme featured the work and achievement with the rods in a south London school.
All these years later it is not uncommon for the children who began their work in mathematics using Cuisenaire rods to want them for their children's children.

Click Here for New Scientist Article 1959

Educational Explorers Ltd, the publishing arm of Gattegno's organisation, was formed in 1960 and became the publisher for all the projects and titles referred to on this website. It was also during the 60's that Gattegno developed and published 'Words in Colour' for teaching reading and writing of British English to English speakers. This was followed by editions for North American English and in time a French edition 'Lecture en Coleur', and a Spanish one 'Letras en Color'.

A reading clinic was established in a second property in Silver Street and operated for 8 or 9 years. Here with Words in Colour we helped young people and some adults overcome their difficulties in learning to read.
Within a year the 'Silent Way' was published, a set of materials and techniques designed to overcome the problems of learning a second language. This project has versions for English as a second language, French, Spanish, Japanese, German and Italian as well as prototype editions for Arabic and some Chinese Languages.

Click here for information on Words in Colour and the Silent Way

Another ambitious project, launched under the editorship of Mrs Rachel Bleakley was aimed at conveying first hand information on careers to teenage readers. This series 'My Life and My Work' eventually comprising some 65 titles, was written by authors who were active in their various professions and successful - though not necessarily at the top, whose stories conveyed to young readers not only what was required to achieve entry to their particular field, but what it was like to be in it and in particular what were the spiritual rewards obtained through the work in question.

In 1973 Educational Solutions (UK) Ltd was formed and became the holding company for the group.
Almost all the projects we have either manufactured or published spring from the work of Dr Gattegno. His contribution to education is known and valued around the world. He is the author of about 120 books mostly published in English, some published first in French and German.