Math'scool
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Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA -- School Library Journal, 4/12/2007
Math’scool (Series). 4 DVDs. with 4 CD-ROMs, tchr’s. guide, blackline masters. Best Quest. 2007. $249 ea. Includes: Math’scool: Module 1, Number Sense (ISBN 1-4126-0102-9); Math’scool, Module 2: Whole Number Operations (ISBN 1-4126-0103-7); Math’scool, Module 3: Integers (ISBN 1-4126-0104-5); Math’scool, Module 4: Fractions, Decimals, Percents, and Factors (ISBN 1-4126-0105-3).
Gr 4-7–This series provides students with a solid foundation in math concepts. Each module includes a DVD of lessons, a teacher's guide, blackline masters, and a CD-ROM containing the blackline masters in two formats, one of which can be edited. Each DVD concentrates on an area of math skills, divided into specific lessons and subtopics within the lessons. A short cartoon featuring teen aliens facing a math conundrum, and solving it, begins and ends each lesson. The voices of these characters, as well as their teachers, continue throughout the lesson as graphics illustrate key math concepts, keeping the program interesting. The lessons also include math problems, guided practice, and "Mr. Tu's Challenge Sets," all of which support the concepts presented and offer additional practice. Module 1 deals with number sense, order of operations, divisibility rules, properties of addition and multiplication, inverse operations, and more. Module 2 emphasizes whole number operations and problem-solving strategies. Module 3 teaches about positive and negative numbers and absolute value and explains how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide integers. Module 4 presents fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, and factors, teaching students how to change from one to the other, how to simplify fractions, and more. Each lesson ends with a review segment. This carefully conceived, beautifully organized series teaches important math skills clearly, while allowing users or teachers plenty of flexibility in the learning process. The valuable guide and blackline masters offer extension activities. The DVDs can be watched in order, or users can select specific lessons or subtopics within the lessons. This excellent program can be used to augment classroom math instruction, to teach math in a home-school setting, or for individualized instruction.
