Georges Cuisenaire

Belgian teacher who invented Cuisenaire rods, a mathematics teaching aid. The "Cuisenaire Rod" method revolutionised the teaching of mathematics by being recognised by pedagogues and psychologists the world over as an instrument of exceptional efficacity. His method was adopted by thousands of teachers in over sixty countries.

Cuisenaire graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music at Mons, where he was awarded first prize for violin. He was a primary school teacher at the Ville-Haute school in Thuin from 26 April 1912. In 1948 he became the founder and principal of the Industrial School of Thuin.

In 1945, following many years of research and experimentation, Cuisenaire created a game consisting of coloured cardboard strips of various lengths that he used to teach mathematics to young children. In 1951 the first edition of Numbers and Colours, the booklet explaining the method, appeared in Belgium.

Georges Cuisenaire died at age 84 on 31 December 1975 in Thuin, Belgium. Cuisenaire was made an officer of the Order of Leopold on 11 January 1986. In 1973 UNESCO recommended the use of Cuisenaire learning aids and suggested the reform of mathematics education programmes based on his method.