iUniverse blog has found yet another one of its self-published books that is a winner amongst the critics and reviewers,”Math Vitamins: Daily Dose for Students Learning How to Solve Word Problems” by Loretta Jean Everhart
The renowned Blueink Review gives the book its top rating red star:
”Math Vitamins: Daily Dose for Students Learning How to Solve Word Problems” by Loretta Jean Everhart
iUniverse, 164 pages, (paperback) $12.95, 9781462032518
(Reviewed: January, 2013)
“Loretta Jean Everhart knows math instruction—and children. She believes students are more motivated to learn when math instruction is not isolated, but instead connected to other subjects and the real world. Math Vitamins, an 8.5 x 11- inch handbook for parents and teachers, is based on her 30-plus years of teaching math in elementary schools. The book contains easily read foundational information and presents a task-analyzed approach to solving word problems.
Chapters cover the importance of various tasks, including: teaching problem-solving skills; establishing math vocabulary; using writing and reading strategies with word problems; understanding and preventing math anxiety, and more.
For word problems, Everhart uses Polya’s Four-Step Problem Solving Model: (1) understand the problem, (2) develop a plan to solve the problem, (3) carry out the plan, and (4) look back. Detailed and understandable explanations are given for each step. For example, in step one, “understand the problem,” Everhart covers finding the problem question, rephrasing the question as a statement (with a blank for the answer), highlighting key words to determine what operation is needed, and determining if there is missing or unneeded information in the word problem. The appendix includes a 43-page reproducible handout on the Polya model that students can keep in their problem-solving journals for reference.
Math Vitamins is well organized and well written. Everhart clearly explains concepts and provides specific strategies for teaching problem-solving to children. She includes lists of resources (math-themed storybooks, websites, and an extensive bibliography) for parents and teachers to find more information if desired. Both parents and teachers will find this book an excellent addition to their instructional library.”
Superb math word problem book for grades pre-k-5th grade By dmm treasures -September 22, 2011 Amazon Verified Purchase
“I purchased this book for my 8 year old, 3rd grade daughter. She is an excellent math student. Her one downfall is word problems. Like reading comprehension, word problems in math are not her strong suit. I needed a book to help me as a parent be able to help her break them down and understand them more clearly. My daughter is very concrete and math is a very concrete subject with the exception of word problems. Stories are difficult for her to decipher and word problems are stories about numbers. There is a chapter devoted on how to help children having difficulty with word problems plus there is a chapter on how to use reading and writing. The author believes if we help the students develop math vocabulary, then the children can better understand what the problems are about. This is a very easy to read and follow book with some great pointers for parents, parents who homeschool as well as teachers. I plan to lend my copy to my daughter’s teacher. This book should get a 10 star rating, 5 stars is just not enough!”
Problem solving book By gnemax - September 6, 2011
“This book offers great ideas on how to teach children about solving word problems. There are ideas on how to use literature to help children connect with problem solving. This book also adds ideas on how to connect problem solving with other subjects, differentiate lessons, and utilize cooperative learning in order to help elementary school age children master problem solving. The author even offers suggestions on how to use the same word problem with a variety of changes.”
About the author
Loretta Jean Everhart was a teacher of kids from Grade 2 to 6 for over thirty years. She lives in Maryland where she runs her online company, the Learning Expressway .She earned her B.Sc in elementary education from Towson University in Maryland and is currently working on her master’s degree.
iUniverse publishing thanks Blueink Reviews and Amazon for their starred reviews and author Loretta Jean Everhart for self-publishing with us.
0 comments:
Post a Comment