Book Description

"Provides a much-needed addition to our arsenal of instructional tools. Particularly for new teachers, this book is like having a colleague with years of experience, always at your side."
Linda Curtis-Bey, Director of Mathematics
New York City Department of Education

"A great resource for math teachers . . . I wouldnt need much encouragement to recommend it to a colleague who is new to the field."
Kimberly C. Smith, Math Department Chair
Welborn Middle School, High Point, NC

Facilitate learning in secondary mathematics and maximize student achievement with state-of-the-art teaching strategies!

This easy-to-navigate guide offers teachers research-based teaching strategies for introducing secondary students to the content and skills recommended by the NCTM principles and standards for mathematics. Using the popular format of the What Successful Teachers Do books, the authors present 79 dynamic learning activities, each including:

• A concise statement of the teaching strategy
• Research-based validations for the strategy
• How the strategy aligns with NCTM standards
• Grade-specific classroom applications
• Precautions and possible pitfalls
• Primary sources for further reading

This reader-friendly resource allows teachers to increase students confidence in math-and their enthusiasm-with practical and engaging activities, while responding effectively to NCTM standards.

Customer Reviews (4)

Outstanding book by two experts who deeply care about teaching Math well
Alfred Posamentier, one of my great heroes, and Daniel Jaye have collaborated to produce a discussion of "79 Research-based Strategies for the Standards-based Classroom", which is the subtitle of the book, What SUCCESSFUL Math Teachers Do, Grades 6-12.What SUCCESSFUL Math Teachers Do, Grades 6-12

Posamentier is dean of the School of Education and Professor of Mathematics Education of the City College of the City University of New York. He has written a number of books that inspire teachers and students to approach Math with a sense of wonder. Jaye is the assistant Principal for Mathematics at Stuyvesant High School, a school for gifted students in New York City.

The book has 6 chapters:

1. Managing Your Classroom
2. Enhancing Teaching Techniques
3. Facilitating Student Learning
4. Assessing Student Progress
5. Teaching Problem Solving
6. Considering Social Aspects in Teaching Mathematics

Additionally, there's a resource section where the authors list over 100 topics for classroom exploration.

Each chapter consists of a number of teaching strategies. Each strategy is methodically broken down into:

1. Title of the Strategy
2. What the Research Says. This section refers to and describes specific studies that support the strategy being discussed.
3. Teaching to the NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) Standards. This is an important section in that it explains how employing a particular strategy meets one or more specific principles or standards of the NCTM.
4. Classroom Applications. This section explains and lists ways to implement the strategy in the classroom.
5. Precautions and Pitfalls. This section alerts teachers about potential obstacles to realizing the goal of the strategy plus recommends ways to avoid these traps.
6. Sources. These are the references to the research behind the strategies.

The book is comprehensive, well organized, and thoroughly researched. Although I'm not a teacher or student these strategies all seem very valuable to me.

Some of my favorite strategies include:

1. Strategy 16: Find out about your students' motivation regarding mathematics, and use that knowledge to refine your instruction.
2. Strategy 19. Praise mistakes! This strategy addresses the shame and anxiety that many students feel in the classroom.
3. Strategy 33: To reduce math anxiety, focus on both the thoughts and the emotions of the students.
4. Strategy 63: Emphasize the general principles that underly solving specific types of problems.
5. Strategy 69: Find out about your students' families and how their values and practices might affect students' attitudes and performance in mathematics.

Posamentier and Jaye clearly know what they're talking about, both having spent considerable amounts of time in the trenches and both caring very deeply for the success of their students. Their competence shows in the tying together of strategy, research, and application in support of NCTM guidelines. Their caring shows in the overall tone of the book.

I highly recommend this book to all teachers, coaches, and tutors. As a Math tutor and mentor I found a number of important considerations to incorporate in my work with students.

Heavy on the science and art of teaching high school math, dry on material display.
The significance of this book lies in its timely publication in the era of educational reform that aims at standardizing institutionalized education. Ensuring that the government delivers what it promises, in the field of shaping the minds of the new generations, has gained growing emphasis in many nations across the Globe. This book devotes its entire contents to 79 strategies of executing well-tested and established standards for teaching mathematics in high school.

Compared to Harry K. Wong's "The First Days Of School", the current authors have contributed plenty of practical and theoretical research yet delegated their book's layout to a publisher with little concern of the friendly readability or attractive style of display of the book material. Relatively speaking, Wong relied merely on his personal experience yet managed to produce more attractive material display with his self-publishing and dedicated style.

On the subject matter, this book covers six, logically connected, aspects of teaching high school mathematics. The book starts with the strategies of "managing" the classroom environment and proceeds to strategies on the processes of "delivery" through teaching techniques, "reception" in student learning, and "measuring" through assessing students' progress. The four-process strategies are discussed in the first four chapters. Chapter five then refines the "delivery" process yet on problem solving, while chapter six refines the "reception" process yet on the social aspects of the receptors.

On the six aspects of teaching, the authors stuck to a simple and consistent methodology in reconciling research materials with the standards and principals of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and in applying such strategies to the classroom. The authors then discussed the precautions and pitfalls and followed by a reference source on each strategy. Extensive list of references is also enclosed at the end of the book. On each proposed teaching strategy, the authors answer four fundamental questions:

-- What trends were observed in experimental research?
-- What standards are adopted by the NCTM?
-- How to utilize those trends and standards in practical teaching?
-- What precautions should be taken/pitfalls should be expected in doing so?

On the book's outline, dryness of material display and lack of emphasizing tactics could have been avoided with minimal improvement. For example, the seventy nine strategies were listed in the table of contents in the form of lengthy sentences that spanned two lines or more. Such lengthy description of the 79 strategies renders their recollection or dissemination quite laboring. Strategy number 19 was the only one depicted in two words: "Praise Mistakes". I would rather truncate the four line description of strategy number 41, in the table of contents, for example, into few words such as: "Structuring Homework Assignment", which should also include strategies number 42 and 43. Had the 79 strategies been grouped under the six chapters, as sub-items, there would have been logical connection between their numbering and purpose. Six grouped strategies are less overwhelming than 79, in my opinion.

Although each strategy is well contained in few pages, there seems to be no use of modern font graying, bolding, or italicizing that emphasizes the main concepts in many long paragraphs. For example, in strategy number 46, emphasis could have been added by bolding the examples of high-level thinking objectives versus the low-level thinking objectives in the lengthy paragraph on research. Similar emphasis could have been made in the paragraph on the NCTM standards, yet on the most significant thought in that lengthy paragraph. Such modern techniques of enhancing book's readability not only extend the longevity and marketability of the publication, but also facilitate referencing and progression of thoughts on the attended topics.

On the book's main objective, it conveys the authors' emphasis on the fact that teaching is an evolving process that is founded on concerted efforts to understand the multiple variables that influence the management, delivery, reception, and assessment endeavors of the institutionalized educational process. The authors' work has further evolved into a newer one, "Exemplary Practices for Secondary Math Teachers", and picked a third contributor, in their course of developing their craft. One must however note that the current two authors have not delineated the specific contributions of each one of them. That leaves the reader uncertain on whose ideas have dominated certain aspects of the book than others. The newer title also addresses the practice of teaching rather than the teacher, which narrows the gap between the authors and the readers.

Putting substance over form, however, the 79 strategies of teaching high school math are grouped concisely in an appropriate book size and supported by classroom application that lend the busy and consumed teachers a helping hand in adhering to the professional standards and in furthering their research and bettering their craft.

Mohamed F. El-Hewie.
Author of
"Essentials of Weightlifting and Strength Training"
Essentials of Weightlifting and Strength Training

Variation of"Tips for the Mathematics Teacher"
This book is essentially the same as "Tips for the Mathematics Teacher".Unfortunately, I did not know that before I purchased both online.The difference between the two books appears to be that the "Successful Math Teacher" also contains the NCTM standards that each strategy is supporting. Between the two, I prefer "What Successful Teachers Do". The book is very interesting and practical.Each strategy is supported by research and practical applications. I was happy to see that I was already using many of these strategies already and there are a few I plan to integrate into my teaching in the fall!

A Very Helpful Book for a Young Teacher
This book is a terrific guide for an inexperienced teacher like myself. The strategies are provacative yet simple to employ. The authors also point out some of the "pitfalls" in implementing the strategies. All in all, I really like the book because it gets right to the heart of classroom instruction and does not dwell on educational theories, just practical hints that are gleaned from them. I have already improved my teaching after implementing just a few of the tips. I recommend this book highly. ... Read more

Product Description
Home Study Packet Content: Facts Practice Answers, Test Answers, Problem Set Answers, Supplemental Practice Problem Answers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Did not receive the correct Item
I received test answers only. It was not a Home Study PACKET! I did not get the textbook answers(problem set answers in the description). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Everyday math
I purchased this program because it is being used by my local school. I find it awkward to use at best and confusing at its worst. The program may work well with average or above average students in math, but the students I work with are struggling to get basic concepts that this program doesn't help. Not only does the program jump around too much and give too little time to process new concepts, it changes the way that we do math so parents are unable to help children understand basic computational skills like multiplication and division. I end up reteaching these skills in my tutorials with children. I prefer a more repetitive approach to math for my struggling students and I use a Distributive Practice model that was presented to me by Gerald Peters, Ph.D. With this approach students are limited by the number of concepts introduced and skills are broken down into small meaningful and manageable steps that are practiced to provide adequate confidence before a student is left on their own. The Everyday Math program as it is presented in this manual doesn't work for me or my students. ... Read more

Book Description
Emphasizing conceptual understanding through the use of models and visuals, this text helps students connect ideas and concepts while providing them with useful methods for teaching math to elementary school children.Mathematics for Elementary Teachers: A Conceptual Approach addresses the NCTM standards by encouraging active student participation through features such as "Math Activities" and "Math Investigations." The "Math Investigations" now appear on the companion website. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

It's a Textbook
Anyone who wants to save money can get the 5th edition for a fraction of the cost.The main difference is that sections 7.1 and 7.2 are reversed.

I have taught many times from this book and since I didn't choose the text I have no way to compare it to the alternatives.

My students find the book confusing, in part, because the book attempts to cover everything an instructor might want to teach from it.Any text covering this material would have the same characteristic.It is critical to guide students as to what is important and what is not.One cannot simply teach this textbook as is.

Much of the material covered in the text is middle school level and not part of the K-5 curriculum.That's fine as long as the instructor realizes that students aspiring to teach Kindergarten will find middle school material difficult, confusing and irrelevant to their goals.

There is not enough practice in this book to build any skill in which the student is deficient or to cover any gaps in the student's preparation.It is simply not possible to do this in a math for elementary teachers course.Students must rely on tutors for this kind of help.The textbook, then, does not proceed sequentially - like an algebra textbook would - to build skills in a systematic way but rather topically.The book veers from the very abstract to the very concrete and students have trouble with this also.

Most students who will use this book have a good grasp of place-value, operations with fractions and decimals, factoring and simple algegra.This material is covered in Chapters 1, 3-6.3.This is not the case for sets, functions, logic, all topics in geometry, and simple probability and statistics.These topics may be in the official high school curriculum but are rarely taught to mastery to the typical student who decides to become an elementary teacher.Furthermore, these topics are ignored in college math placement tests and in remedial math courses.Those responsible for designing a course that might use this book must take this reality into account.

Another challenge for students is to approach mathematics concepts in which they have a sound working knowledge from multiple learning styles.This is difficult even for those who are well prepared.The book is good resource for this.

Horrible book!
Very complicated book. Bad examples and format. AN FYI for college students trying to save money, the older edition is the SAME as the newest one. What a rip off.

This book made me want to drop out of grad school!
Maybe it's the teacher, perhaps it's the book. But this is one of the most difficult classes I've had in my life. All I feel like doing is pulling out my hair. This book is so unclear. If you're trying to learn math, this isn't the book for you. If you want to be confused, I highly recommend it.

Unclear
This book is not clearly written.Many terms are used incorrectly or in a very questionable manner.The answers in the back of the book for all odd-numbered "homework" problems and all test questions is very helpful and convenient.If I were chosing a textbook, it would not be this.

A good resource for the non-math minded
I had Bennett as an instructor and used this book throughout the course sequence. I found it to be a helpful resource for teachers who were unfamiliar or "rusty" with mathematics.However, if you are amath-minded person looking for more ideas, this book will not help youdevelop your potential. It is a good place to start thinking about ways toteach and learn mathematics, but not a great collection of information onthe whole. ... Read more

Book Description
100 ready-to-use lessons with reproducible activity sheets to support any intermediate math program

Each section in this valuable resource features detailed lesson plans, objectives, activity sheets, materials, lists, answer keys, and related activities that cover the basic concepts of six essential areas of the 4—6 math curriculum:

• Symmetry-from turn and flip to bilateral symmetry and tessellation
• Geometry-lines, angles, polygons, congruent figures, and more
• Measurement-from time duration and temperature to distance on a map and scale drawing
• Probability-such as likelihood, chance, fair games, Pascal's Triangle, and more
• Statistics-including picture, bar, line, and circle graphs and methods of data collection
• Algebra-including patterns, equality, function, and variables

The lessons, which can be taught to the entire class or to small groups of students, are divided into levels of knowledge: Beginning Level activities introduce mathematical content and vocabulary; Learning Level activities reinforce content already introduced with hands-on, concrete materials; and Challenging Level activities ask students to use the content knowledge in a different way.

Each activity includes specific teacher directions for presenting the information, followed by reproducible worksheets to copy for the classroom. There's also a unique appendix of teacher resources, including pictures, grids, tables, graphs, figures, and much more. These can be reproduced for teacher and student use, made into overhead transparencies, and are incorporated into many of the lessons-which means no more hunting for resources. Everything you need for your intermediate math program is here in this one-stop guide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Horizons Math 3: Books 1 & 2
We started homeschooling our oldest child beginning in 3rd grade. She had been in a Montessori school from preschool through 2nd grade and was advanced in math. We started with Level 3 because everyone said Horizons was so advanced. Overall the books are fantastic. They offer a variety of problems with each lesson. The lessons regularly provide review of past material. It is bright and pleasant to look at (no color is very dull for an 8 year old). Each lesson also provides a reasonable number of problems especially for a student who gets bored easily/tired of doing the same type of problem repeatedly.

With that said, my only 'negative' comment is if you have a very advanced math learner. By the end of the 1st book, my child was getting bored with doing the problems over concepts she had 'mastered'. Therefore by the 2nd book, if it was a review concept, I would select a few problems from that particular section of the lesson (for example if there were 8 subtraction problems I would have her do 3 or 4). If a concept was being reviewed more frequently through a series of lessons, sometimes I would allow her to completely skip sections of review problems.

We will continue with the Horizons program next school year.

Horizons Mathematics: Level K
I agree with another reviewer, this approach is for a very bright child.Saying that, my daughter really thrived with it.If your child is "average" or you don't want to push them too hard, stick with Alpha Omega's LifePacs.Alpha Omega Horizons are specifically made to go quicker.
I loved this series, too.My daughter started at 4 (almost 5) and just finished up the 2nd workbook.I'm ordering the 1st grade set for her too.She LOVES math!

Too hard, give me a break
My daughter is smart as a whip. I bought this for something new and exciting, she is homeschooled and almost 6 years old learning Kindergarten. I couldn't believe this book, come on counting by 10's, making change by 10's? Learning to circle all Fridays in a month? Young children have a hard time understanding time, years, days, months etc, now circle all the Fridays? I believe if your child is gifted, buy this. If not go to Borders or Walmart and pick up some school books in the book area. Don't waste our money on this. Why push a Kindergarteners little brain to make change by 10's? They don't even have money. How are they going to use this concept.Unreal.

Horizons Math Grade 3 Books 1 and 2
As a homeschooler, I want materials that are easy to teach, and interesting and easily-understandable for my child.This math series answers those needs.The workbook pages offer an interesting variety of problem-types daily, and with their colorful, illustrated pages, they are more attractive to a young learner than a black-and-white textbook.I prefer Horizon's workbook format, especially in the younger grades, because it saves time and prevents mistakes made when copying problems from a textbook to notebook paper.About 90% of the time, a teacher of younger grades could get by without the teacher's manual, but it does offer useful tips for explaining new concepts, and thoroughly outlines each day's work.The reduced-page, picture answer key makes correcting students' work a breeze, and the optional worksheets help reinforce the lessons being taught.I've used several other programs, but this is the best I've seen and used.I wish it was used when I was in school -- Math would have been my favorite subject!

Horizons Second Grade Math Student Book 2
The all time best math books I've found for lower grades. Great preparation if you want to move on to Saxon Math after Grade 3. Lots of colorful illustrations, liberal use of manipulatives ( the kind you canfind around your house without having to invest a bundle in priceymanipulatives), and very little teacher prep time. It's easy enough to useso that even a beginning homeschooler needn't feel intimidated by thematerials. Mastery style of teaching/learning, so children keep reviewingpreviously learned skills and building on already mastered skills. (likeSaxon Math) I've used this book even for children who were learning tospeak english, and they've done very well with this series. I highlyrecommend Horizons Math! ... Read more

Product Description
This is the teacher's edition (2nd volume) that corresponds with the student text: Saxon Math 7/6. The teacher edition is basically the student text with additional teaching materials and all the answers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Teacher's Resource Book, Math to Know
This is one of a series that every teacher should have on their book shelf.When you are not sure how to explain a Math concept or need a simple but accurate way to explain a concept to a student this is your book.It is especially great for the teacher who is not quite sure of Math concepts.It is a wonderful reference tool for all teachers.The entire series is a must for all teachers of Math.

FALSE ADVERTISING
I agree with the last comment.The listing for this book is incorrect...it should say PARENT'S GUIDE TO MATH TO KNOW.It isn't very helpful...I wanted the MATH TO KNOW student's guide.Please rename this listing because it is giving false advertising!!!!

Wrong
I did not receive Math to Know: A Mathematics Handbook.I received "A Parent's Guide to Math to Know" which is worthless without the actual Math to Know handbook.I cannot seem to find any way to order the correct Math to Know handbook, since it says I have already received it. Are there any actual student handbooks available that I may order? If so, I need one ASAP.If not, you need to reclassify this one as the Parent Guide. ... Read more

Product Description
Saxon Math 2 An Incremental Development Teacher's Manual (3-Ring Binder) Volume 2. ... Read more

Product Description
Primary Mathematics Teacher Guides provide, in both flexibility and detail, a clear framework for the Primary Mathematics textbooks. Each lesson is accompanied by numerous activities which expand and reinforce the concepts for that lesson and which are designed to fit both teachers who wish to adapt lessons to their own classroom situation, and teachers who desire easy-to-follow, effective teaching strategies. Through the notes to the teacher and the detailed objectives for each learning task in the text and activity in the guide, these Teacher Guides help teachers to fully understand the purpose and concept behind each set of problems, both within the context of the unit and the context of the overall curriculum. The teacher's guide contains answers for the textbooks and workbooks.Grade 5A ... Read more

Product Description
Spiral bound HARCOURT BRACE Teacher's Edition Grade 3 Volume Two MATH ADVANTAGE, copyright 1999, ISBN# 0-15311451-7. Contains the pages of the last half of the student book, with teacher's information in the side and bottom margins. ... Read more

Book Description

What happens as beginning urban teachers transition through their first few years in the classroom? This book captures one teacher's journey through the first three years of teaching science and mathematics in a large urban district in the US. The authors focus on Ian's agency as a beginning teacher and explore his success in working with diverse students. Using critical ethnography combined with first-person narrative, they investigate Ian's teaching practices in four contexts: his student teaching experience, his work with students on a summer curriculum development project, his first year of teaching in a small, urban high school, and his second year of teaching in a large, comprehensive high school. In each field, the authors describe the structural changes Ian encounters and the ways in which he re-utilizes the practices he used successfully in previous fields. Specific practices that helped foster community and led to the increased agency of his students as learners are highlighted.