Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.
What can I say? Some days it feels like we are in a constant battle with math. My skills have never been very good – I dread teaching it for that very reason – yet here we are enjoying our math and growing in our skills, all thanks to Math Essentials (again). This time around we were blessed to receive Basic Math Skills Rescue Parts 1 and 2. Truly, I think this is our favorite of all the math programs we have tried!
Book 1 includes:
- Whole Numbers and Integers
- Fractions
- Decimals and Percents
Book 2 includes:
- Geometry
- Problem Solving
- Pre-Algebra
The pages are full of helpful hints and plenty of step by step examples.
Author and instructor Rick Fisher is a winner of the prestigious “Intel Innovations in Teaching Award” as well as the Glenn W. Hoffmann Exemplary Awards Program for Silicon Valley in California. His program is functional, easy-to-use and understand; this program has shown to improve multiple grade levels with just one year’s use.
As my son (12) becomes more advanced we try to focus, not just on worksheets and formulas but also on those additional skills we sometimes forget about: critical thinking, conceptual understanding, problem solving skills, computational fluency – all of these are discussed as well within the pages of this book. How all of these things can apply to life. And each lesson is made up of three parts which can be completed in 15-20 minutes a day.
Online video tutorials are always appreciated – my son says he likes the no-nonsense approach to things – there is nothing silly, no bells and whistles just straight instruction on the math being done. My son likes to watch the videos before he begins working through any problems. Whether it is a refresher or something new, he appreciates being able to see exactly what he is supposed to do. The methods used in the videos and the workbook pages too really, are a great fit for his very meticulous nature. 🙂
We are slowly working through Book 1 – looking forward to eventually beginning Book 2 – the format is the same regardless of the material being taught. There is a glossary included in both books as well as an answer key – Of course there are also handy resources to use as you become more acquainted with symbols and equivalents and the like.
Without a doubt this book and the online videos included will be with us for some time to come. Without a doubt, this program is simple and the teaching is easy to follow as each lesson builds upon the one that came before. We have not made it to the final test but I am certain that by the time he gets there, it will be a piece of cake.
I often find it can be very helpful (in math especially) to go back to the basics now and then before attempting to master other things. This is helping immensely to strengthen my son’s skills in the basic things so that when he is ready we can move onto other things without fear.
It is about so much more than just “getting the right answers” and “passing the test”. There is great value to be had in any program that helps our children to learn and apply all they learn, to real life situations. As we learn we grow in ability and in confidence so that they know that they can succeed not just in math but in all things.
A "Peace" of Mind 