Pattern Block Book w/ CD

Armed with this book and a small set of pattern blocks, you'll be ready to have some fun with your young one exploring all kinds of math concepts. Similar to the Math Discoveries books, this volume has a little broader range while retaining the fun flavor of those explorations. Every "lesson" has a Focal Point which explains its goal. This is followed by a short materials list (usually just pattern blocks) and instructions for leading the activity. A nice additional feature is the Guided Learning section which gives you a little scripted dialogue to use after the activity. An extension activity is also provided at the bottom of each teacher page which invites you to "Explore More with PB" (PB being a little mascot character). Facing this teaching page is the activity page itself very crisply and cleanly done. While the activities are fun and informal, the amount and breadth of learning is impressive. After an exploration and discovery unit, this 133-page volume covers numbers & operations, geometry, measurement, algebra and probability & statistics. Activities within these units are orderly, beginning with simple concepts and building to more complex. For example, the Algebra section begins with simple patterns and sequences and culminates with an activity titled "Guess the Robot's Secret" which introduces functions. So while "playing" and having guided fun with pattern blocks, your child is getting some real meat in their math diet. The groundwork you lay here will pay off later when some of these mental connections are already in place for higher level math work.