Book Description
Emphasizing conceptual understanding through the use of models and visuals, this new 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 also addresses the latest NCTM standards by increasing the use of technology, adding "Math Activities" sections, and developing new methodology materials called "Ideas for the Classroom." These math activities serve as a set of inductive activities for prospective elementary and secondary teachers that use physical models, manipulatives, and visual images to develop concepts and encourage higher level thinking. ... 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
Includes: Amy Hill: Tokyo Bound; David Henry Hwang: Bondage; Velina Hasu Houston: As Sometimes in a Dead Man's Face; Lane Nishikawa and Victor Talmadge: The Gate of Heaven; Dwight Okita: The Rainy Season. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great plays marred by bad editing
This anthology is a well-selected one.It has a wide range of plays of different styles, from romantic comedy to absurdist family drama to post-modern weirdness.In response to the reviewer (and many other critics) who say that this is not a distinctly Asian collection of plays, I say, that's mostly the point: what really separates an Asian-American playwright and a white playwright?Or the Asian-American experience against the Caucasian experience?Just what you see.

This anthology is proof positive that the Asian-American can and does do as much and as well as any other race.We are, in the end, all people experiencing the world through our own respective eyes.Maybe it just happens that a lot of people experience similar things.

The big problem, at least with the edition I read, is that there are numerous typographical errors.Sometimes a line is attributed to a character who shouldn't be in the scene.Some are misspelled (among the most egregiously, the name of Dwight Omata in the table of contents) and can be distracting to reading and, therefore, understanding the play.It is the only gripe that makes this product less than a perfect 5-star.

Nothing really distinctively Asian here.
I could care less for any of these plays.The authors seem to try and create a new brand of Asian literature.With the plays that I've read here, I hope that won't happen.Some of them are badly written and the characters aren't all too complex.But, this book shouldn't be called "Asian American Drama."Because there isn't anything Asian about it, except that the plays were written by Asians.Aside note:David Henry Hwang writes, "Frank Chin's play The Chicken Coop Chinaman was criticized for reinforcing stereotypes of broken-English-speaking Chinatown tour guides."If you read Chickencoop Chinaman, there is no Chinatown tour guide!Anyway, If you want something distinctively Asian, you have to narrow it down somewhere.You can't make up something culturally phony like some of these authors.

Fantastic, every play worth reading and producing
I am an actor, and I found this collection, just outstanding!Every play is excellent and readable even on the page.Several plays by women as well. Read and Enjoy.Then go out and put it together and act, produce anddirect it! I will ... Read more