Mathematical Reasoning Supplement - Grades 4-6

At such an early age, mathematical reasoning begins with simple activities such as distinguishing between even or odd amounts and learning the ordinal numbers. This series is correlated to the NCTM standards and accordingly incorporates topics such as patterns, number concepts/number lines, graphs, fractions, probability, geometry, and problem solving, as well as basic operations. The full color activity sheets should especially appeal to the younger student. Not only are the illustrations eye-catching, but they do an excellent job of demonstrating mathematical representations and relationships. Although manipulatives are not required, a link to a virtual manipulative website is provided in case additional concrete level reinforcement is needed. A wide variety of exercises and activities are utilized to keep your child both interested and motivated. For instance, Thinker Doodles and Mind Benders activities from parent company Critical Thinking are scattered throughout.

Beginning 1 focuses on numbers 1-5 while Beginning 2 focuses on 0-10, and they are intended for use with 3 and 4 year olds. The concepts are presented in a spiral fashion, so students will see the concept repeated at different intervals throughout the book. In most cases, children who finish these first two books should be ready to tackle kindergarten math.

Books A through F are for grades kindergarten through 5th grade, and can be used as core math curriculum. We also like to recommend them as a critical thinking supplement for any math program that is light in that particular area. These books incorporate the same spiral approach found in the Beginning books. Level G has been added for 6th grade and goes beyond drill and practice. It incorporates discussion-based problem solving to prepare students for the reasoning required for upper-level math.

Book 2 of the original series, Mathematical Reasoning Through Verbal Analysis, can be used after the series as a supplement to your math curriculum. A more analytical or math reasoning approach is needed for higher level math and this book will help fill that need. This book can also be used as a reference and resource tool to fill in gaps. Since the book is nicely organized by "strands" (topics), and, additionally, into subtopics, you can easily find problem solving exercises to help repair any deficiency detected or an alternate way of teaching a concept (useful if your child has developed a case of "math block" to understanding a particular concept). Topics cover the entire realm of elementary math: understanding numbers, counting, sequencing, geometry, basic arithmetic operations, measurement, numerical comparisons (greater than, less than, equal to), and tables and graphs. The teacher's manual contains teaching suggestions and the answers. These books are reproducible for family use and range in length from 240-380+ pages.

If you're searching for additional practice pages to supplement your math program, but are wanting more than basic drills, then this is the series you've been looking for. These supplement books contain page after page of non-routine math problems that will challenge your child's grasp of math concepts as well as ability to mathematically reason.

The following is a small sampling of problems you can expect from this series. For example, in the Grades 2-4 supplement, your child is tasked with forming the largest/smallest sum, difference, and product by choosing operands from a given set of numbers. In Grades 4-6, your child is challenged to deduce possible values for an unknown value N given a set of 4-5 rules, or number properties. And finally, in the Middle School Supplement, your child's understanding of percentage is put to the test by calculating the percentage of a pizza's surface area that is covered in pepperoni.

The lower and upper elementary supplements (2-6) each contain over 300 pages, with practice divided into 6 key content areas: Number and Numeration, Geometry, Operations, Measurement, Relations, and Tables and Graphs. The middle school supplement (7-9) is over 300 pages, with practice divided into 12 content areas: 2D Geometry, Number Operations; Rates, Ratios and Proportions; Probability, Fractions, Patterns, Percents, Graphing, Statistics, Number Theory, 3D Geometry, and Miscellaneous. All supplement books contain reproducible student pages with answer guide included. ~ Anh