Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
It s no secret that algebra gives students the jitters, and word problems give them the shakes. As a dastardly duo, the word problems of algebra are just about as nerve-wracking as anything in the teenage years. But now there s a new book that rescues students from this combination of confusion: the Algebra Survival Guide, Second Edition.
Following on the success of the Algebra Survival Guide s First Edition, written by longtime teacher/tutor Josh Rappaport, the Second Edition takes a hard look at algebra s word problems and offers time-tested advice for cracking them. With a new 62-page chapter devoted to these word problems, the new edition tackles the ultimate math nightmares of the puberty years: problems involving rate, time and distance, work performed, and mixture formulas, among others.
With twelve additional content chapters that explain fundamental and advanced areas of algebra, the 352-page Second Edition guides students to success in pre-algebra and Algebra I. The Guide features a unique question/answer format so students hear their own questions echoed in the text. The book s answers, written in the voice of a friendly tutor, provide lucid explanation and answers, along with step-by-step instructions with explanations in English right next to the math steps. At the end of each one-page lesson, the book presents practice problems, giving students instant feedback on their grasp of the math. Additional chapter tests provide comprehensive checks for understanding.
The new edition boasts an expanded glossary and index, and contains a navigation tool that helps students know exactly where they are in the program. In addition, the Guide is adorned with lively illustrations by award-winning artist Sally Blakemore. These cartoons not only provide well-deserved comic relief for math learners, they also offer a visual way to grasp algebra s challenging abstractions. (Example: to illustrate the Reflexive Property of a = a, the cartoon shows a sad x variable looking in the mirror while experiencing a bad hair day. ) With all of these features, the Second Edition Algebra Survival Guide is ideal for homeschoolers, tutors and students striving for algebra excellence.
The Second Edition also aligns with the current Common Core State Standards for Math, so it s ideal for today s teachers, as well. Its content chapters tackle the trickiest topics of algebra: Properties, Sets of Numbers, Order of Operations, Absolute Value, Exponents, Radicals, Factoring, Cancelling, Solving Equations, and the Coordinate Plane. Loaded with thorough explanations, practice problems and answers, the new Algebra Survival Guide gives students the boost they need in a style they'll enjoy to master the skills of algebra.
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Synopsis
If there's one question that many parents would rather not hear when Sophia or Aiden gets home from school, it's, "Mom, can you help me with my algebra homework?"
And nowadays that question gets asked by younger and younger children because algebraic thinking has been inserted into the math curriculum as early as 5th grade, sometimes even in 4th grade
So what helps parents recall algebra and also helps students learn it in a friendly way? The Algebra Survival Guide, now updated in its Second Edition.
Following on the success of the award-winning First Edition book and written by teacher/tutor Josh Rappaport, the Second Edition Guide offers time-tested advice for understanding the key areas of this gateway math subject.
The new Algebra Survival Guide features a unique Q&A format so students hear their own questions echoed in the text. The book's answers, written in the voice of a friendly tutor, provide conversational responses, along with step-by-step instructions in English right next to the math steps.
Each page is a one-page mini-lesson so students can focus without feeling overwhelmed. Following each lesson is a short set of practice problems, offering students instant feedback. At the end of each section, chapter tests provide comprehensive checks on understanding.
Since word problems are often the highest "hurdle" of algebra, the Second Edition contains a new 62-page chapter on advanced word problems. This chapter provides detailed strategies for setting up and solving word problems on such dastardly areas as rate, time and distance, work performed, mixture formulas, and even those crazy problems about Joe being three years older than four times Jane's age 10 years in the future.
In its twelve content chapters the 352-page Second Edition covers all key areas of PreAlgebra and Algebra 1: Algebraic Properties, Sets of Numbers, Positive and Negative Numbers, Order of Operations, Absolute Value, Exponents, Radicals, Factoring, Cancelling, Solving Equations, the Coordinate Plane, and Word Problems.
As a major bonus, the Guide buzzes with lively illustrations by award-winning artist Sally Blakemore. Ms. Blakemore's cartoons not only provide comic relief, they also offer a visual way to grasp algebra's challenging abstractions. (Example: to illustrate the Reflexive Property of x = x, a cartoon shows a sad 'x' gazing at itself in the mirror while suffering a 'bad hair day.') With all of these features, the Second Edition Algebra Survival Guide appeals equally to homeschoolers, students, parents, teachers, tutors and adult students striving to recall the math they learned a decade or so ago.
The Second Edition aligns with the Common Core State Standards for Math, so it's up-to-date for today's teachers.
Loaded with thorough explanations, practice problems and answers, the new Algebra Survival Guide gives anyone and everyone the needed boost for learning or teaching the timeless and critical subject of algebra.