Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Approaches to math pedagogy, and textbooks

Yes, I have noticed those things. I have never found an online math program that I like. But there are some texts that are amazing. Primary Mathematics ("Singapore math") is an example. They did a fabulous job with many things, and the order of presentation is one of them.

This is all great information. We're using AoPS books, and are well satisfied, but it's good to know which other books are the good one's especially some old one's I didn't really know about.

Thanks Val, really appreciate you taking the time. All good detail. Textbooks are likely right around the corner for DS. So far, he hasn't had any except an Algebra and a Geometry book he bought himself at a used book store.

Reading it here, I'm thinking, oh supporting pictures aren't so bad. But the Algebra book he picked up (can't remember the title) has a ton of full-color fluff in it; so, I get that idea and it is distracting and wasteful and doesn't help engagement that I can see.

I guess that also trumpets the state of things. I had actually imagined it was something more pedagogical on progressions and which topics lead at what levels to what topics. But if cutting through noise is significant, then it's hard to even have a functional dependency discussion.

Personally, I'd be looking for scaled problem solving, clear overviews with theory and related material. I'd most like to see a flowchart to see the how/why/what behind topics and sequence. But that would be for me, DS has his own instincts and seeks out material of all forms; I'm not certain I'll ever have much curricular input on what he does.

I really have no advice to offer up on this thread - I've honestly always just gone along with whatever text our children's school throws at them for math classes, but I had to lol about the ADHD comment, Val, because my older dd's school has a new math curriculum… not EM but of the "spiraling" variety… and Oh Good Grief.. that is the very first thing when I saw the new mathbook - it looks like the book has ADHD!

Actually, it looks like it was authored by the folks who publish the "Yoga/Car Maintenance/Everything-under-the-Sun for Dummies" genre. It's filled with outlined boxes of random methodologies, little hints flying in from the side, crazy fonts of all different sizes and shapes, none of the chapters are more than two small topics long, then the next chapter is about something else entirely unrelated to the previous chapter, and they purposely throw in at least one problem that has nothing to do with the current chapter in each end-of-topic set of questions… just to be sure the material is "reinforced" and the kids don't forget something they might have learned three chapters ago. I got a headache just looking at it, and I can't even imagine how my dd (who has both vision issues and a challenge with staying focused in the presence of the smallest of distractions) can even begin to not want to just toss the book off a cliff

Thanks for allowing me to have my little rant over my dd's totally silly math book

polarbear

Among the many treasures DD9 picked out for herself at the library sale was an above-level (8th grade is my guess) earth sciences textbook. She flipped it open to a random page, and as I looked over the disjointed mass of colors, images, and text boxes, I was prompted to say, "It looks like somebody barfed all over the page." Then I pointed out the absurdity of the text box, in a text box, in a text box, in a text box.

I declared the result to be unreadable, but DD assured me that she could read it with ease, as she understood the patterns underlying all the barf.

(returning the title to its regular upright position.)

Hmm, that is another consideration the modern construct of busy pages, txt msging and such. Or maybe it just takes a natural instinct in forensic toxicology.

A few years back I complained because the "planner" our school was asking our children to buy was like this. It was crazy, they want to teach our kids to USE the planner but it's impossible to find the page you want. And the page is so busy it's hard to figure out where to write, and then you only get a tiny amount of space. The thing was 3X bigger than it needs to be. It had all this extraneous stuff about schools and even ads. So the kids they are most desperate to get to use it can't even function with it because it's simply too busy.

Thankfully someone listened because the planner this year is a lot smaller and more streamlines.

Well, I've seen a lot of different math textbooks in the pre-algebra through calculus sequence over the past six years or so.

I have to say that I have nothing much to add to Val's detailed and (IMO) accurate assessment on the previous page. Just one thing, perhaps-- that I suspect that the distracting content is intended to make such textbooks less threatening/intimidating to those children who have math phobia. Unfortunately, they also teach very little in the way of mathematics and numeracy, but they do not frighten students with walls of text or pages filled with derivations.

{sigh}

I do think that some things about modern pedagogy in mathematics COULD be very good. It is mystifying to me why it isn't a better state of affairs there, honestly. Because what was done in 1970 wasn't terribly effective for a huge segment of students who had learning challenges or differences, and the pedagogy exists (in spades) to reach that segment now. Technology alone makes some things possible that used to be excruciatingly slow and laborious to implement. I have no idea why we've thrown the baby out along with the bathwater here, however.

Most of the educational theorists seem to focus on equity. So there's a lot of emphasis on how to reach non traditionally successful students. That's then filtered through the textbook companies who have incentives to make thicker and more flashy books which are then selling to school districts with checklists for what the books need to meet.

Ds11 uses Browns Structure and Method Algebra book 1. It is jammed packed.
To cover this in one school year your dc will have study the text on their own to as to not miss things.

We also have AoPS Introduction to Algebra at home.

http://www.zooktutoring.com/the-best-algebra-book-in-the-world/