Thursday, September 26, 2013

Learning Math With Math Mammoth


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From MM website



The Mosaic Reviews team has been given the opportunity to review products from Math Mammoth. We had the choice of a complete yearly curriculum or topical books. I gave my children the opportunity to choose what topics they wanted to try. So they choose South African Money, Statistics and Probability, Ratios, and Geometry 2. I received pdf copies of each of these four ebooks.

Each of these worktexts follows a similar format. They feature an introduction and information for the instructor, index of the lessons, and many descriptions and links to websites for additional practice of topics addressed in the worktext.The concepts are taught and explained which is followed by several practice opportunities.

Each lesson is 2-4 pages in length including the instructional material. The amount of instruction varies depending on the topic.


South African Money
Math Mammoth South African Money workbook cover
From MM website
Recommended for Grades 1-4
$3.25


This booklet focuses on counting money, making change and solving money word problems. It explains, names and shows the different coins in the South African money system.

The material is not divided into lessons per say, but is presented in the order above. This allows the student to progress through it as they are able.

My Thoughts

This worktext would be a great addition to a geography or cultural study for early elementary students. They would learn about money from another country, while at the same time practicing money skills. My daughter enjoyed learning about the coins, even though the skills were too easy for her.



Math Mammoth Statistics & Probability workbook cover
From MM website
Statistics and Probability
Recommended for grades 5-7
$5.30

There are 25 lessons with 2 reviews. Topics covered include reading and constructing a variety of graphs and histograms and stem and leaf plots Also covered is average, mode, and mean; what they are, how to determine each and graph the results as well. Students also learn what probability is, its uses, and how to calculate it.

My Thoughts

Both my 9 and 12 year olds enjoyed using this worktext. Much of the information and many of the exercises were quite simple for my oldest, but the sections on stem and leaf plots and probability were beneficial for her as she hadn't had a lot of the topic before. This was a good review for my youngest as he had just worked through some of these topics in another program.



Ratios, Proportions & Problem Solving
Math Mammoth Ratios & Proportions & Problem Solving math book cover
From MM website
Recommended for Grades 5-6
$4.00

This worktext teaches ratios; what they are, how to solve them, their uses and where they are found. Students learn what proportions are, where they are found and how they are used and learn several methods of solving them. Not only do they learn how to work with proportions they learn how proportions are used in daily life. Along with the methods students learn the why behind the process. In addition there are several sections teaching students how to scale figures or in other words draw the same figure in a large size, but with the same proportions.


My Thoughts

I feel this is a very complete, yet compact text of the subject. The descriptions are simple and easy to understand, and there is enough practice to understand the concepts, yet not bog down a student who knows and understands. I appreciated the lessons on scaling figures the most as I have not found another explanation as concise and easy to understand.


Geometry 2
Recommended for Grades 6-7

$5.80
Math Mammoth Geometry 2 math book cover
From MM website
Geometry 2 teaches shapes, angles, lines, and polygons. Students also learn about and how to calculate circumference, area, volume, and area. Several lessons also teach and practice conversion between various measuring systems. An integral part of the lessons have students learning to draw these concepts as well.

My Thoughts

My children really had fun with this worktext. They enjoyed all the opportunities to draw in addition to the figuring. Normally I don't care for ebooks for workbooks because I don't like having to keep track of all the pages, however I appreciated having individual pages for this worktext because we didn't have to wrestle with the book spine or keeping it flat to measure and draw.



The worktexts I reviewed, except for South African money can be completed on the computer if the computer has the proper program.

All of these worktexts are written in color, but I needed to print them on a black and white printer. It was possible to use the pages, although they were not as visually appealing or interesting. A few examples had to be colored in order for the student to do what was required, but it was simple enough to color what was necessary with colored pencil.


Math Mammoth also has full curriculum programs available for grades 1-5. In addition to the worktexts described above there are two collections of practice worksheets. The Golden series is a collection of worksheets designed to provide additional practice at each grade level. The review workbooks are written to provide a through review of math topics and tests for a specific grade level. Some Math Mammoth materials are aligned with Common Core standards.

 Visit the Math Mammoth website to see the full line of math materials available. You can also sign up to receive many samples of Math Mammoth products to help in your decision making process. Maria Miller, the author of Math Mammoth also offers several helpful videos as well as math teaching help. There is also a placement test for the Math Mammoth products.


Images used in this post are from the Math Mammoth website.



Other members of the Mosaic Reviews team had the opportunity to use and review other products from Math Mammoth. To learn what they have to say visit the Mosaic Review blog.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Cover Reveal of Deadly Deception

 
Cover Reveal: Deadly Deception by
 Andrea Johnson Beck

Cover by Montlake Romance

Synopsis
Dr. Anne Jamison, a brilliant neuropsychiatrist, is living the concrete jungle life in Minneapolis with her fiancĂ©, prominent attorney Adam Whitney. But the mysterious death of Carter Leeds, her beloved former boyfriend, still haunts her…

After three years of unanswered questions, a mysterious package finds its way to Anne. The note inside reveals the possibility that Carter may, in fact, be alive. Even more shocking, her very own fiancĂ© may have had a hand in his attempted demise. Anne doesn’t know what—or who—to believe, and the deeper she digs, the more she is overcome by a dangerous game of cat and mouse. But will Anne’s trust be restored—or will she be the one left plotting revenge?

Author Biography
Andrea Johnson Beck is a homeschool teacher in North Carolina, where she lives with her husband and young son. Beck vowed to write a full-length book before her thirtieth birthday, which she accomplished just weeks shy of her deadline. Deadly Deception is the first in her series of contemporary romantic thrillers. She also writes monthly articles for Homeschool Mosaics and In-Depth Genealogist. 

Stay in touch with Andrea Johnson Beck through 
Facebook : Goodreads : Site : Twitter





I usually don't write about topics not related to homeschooling, but Andrea Johnson Beck is a friend and fellow blogger and when she asked  bloggers to share the new cover of her book I offered to do so. I found this to be an exciting book which is hard to set down.