Through the years as we have worked in the field of math education, a frequent question from parents has been, “Why don’t you write a book for us so we can help our kids do their homework?”
Over time it occurred to us that a written resource with some worked-out examples would be very helpful to moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, caregivers, babysitters, or anyone else who might be having problems helping with homework.
Both volumes of Math for Puzzled Parents aim at the “common core” of fundamental math skills and promise to help students and parents alike to work together for mastery of those common core skills.
How the Modules Are Organized
These books are made up of self-contained lessons, which we call modules, that present many of the common arithmetic, algebra, and geometry concepts taught in elementary and middle school.
Book 2 builds on the basic skills covered in Book 1, numbers, fractions, decimals, proportion, percents, and problem solving, and provides references to relevant skills in Book 1 if you need review. The concepts we cover in Book 2 are algebra, integers and rational numbers, probability, graphing and statistics, geometry, and measurement.
In each module, we point out why the topic is important, list the key words, present the definitions, and give examples.
The examples are worked out in a step-by-step format, allowing you to review the skills needed to solve. We give you tips and hints and refer you to other modules to review prerequisite skills.
Next, we include a few problems so you may test your understanding of the concepts in the module or work some problems with your child. We provide complete solutions for you.
Finally, we provide a short and fun activity for you to do with your child to practice the concepts of the module.
At the end of the books, we provide a glossary of the terms used in the book.