History

Arithmetic in Residence™ was a math camp for elementary school children. It ran during the summers of ‘74 and ‘75 at the Pinal Ranch near Top o’ the World, Arizona about 65 miles east of Phoenix between Superior and Globe-Miami. The site consisted of historic buildings, vintage machines, and 160 acres of fields, old pecan and apple orchards, and huge rock outcroppings, some of which displayed signs of Indian activity dating back centuries. It was bordered on the front by Highway 60 and in back by the Tonto National Forest, but the “forest” was mainly one of rocks and shrubs consistent with Arizona at that altitude (4,000 feet—the highest point from there to the San Diego coastline over 400 miles away!). 

The children who attended the camp came primarily from Phoenix and Tucson, but several came from other states, and one came from as far away as Israel. They came for two weeks. Because of a scholarship policy of one free for every four paying, some came from disadvantaged families, including some whose fathers were inmates at Arizona State Prison in Florence. 

For the most part, the children were of “average” ability, but there were striking exceptions. At the lower end was a 13-year-old girl who was considered mentally retarded by the schools and the year previous had been “promoted” from the third grade to the ninth grade in a mainstreaming effort. At the upper end was a 5-year-old boy who could multiply two 3-digit numbers in his head quicker than one could work them out with paper and pencil! 

created Arithmetic in Residence™ and directed it for the two summers it ran. He was assisted by , teachers from the Phoenix metropolitan area, and education students from Arizona State University, Tempe. Because of the varied ages and abilities of the children attending the camp, the teacher/student ratio was kept to approximately 1 to 6. 

Curriculum

The curriculum at Arithmetic in Residence™ was organized into three strands: Basics, Concepts, and Applications. Each was given about equal time and attention each day. Basics