Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
One of the things I was most excited about doing with my kids when we started homeschooling was logic puzzles. They were a regular part of my elementary- and middle-school education, and although I incorporated them into my own classroom, I never saw them being used in any other local classes – and I believe they’re really valuable for students. That’s why I was so excited for the opportunity to review Mastering Logic and Math Problem Solving for Grades 6 – 9 by The Critical Thinking Co.™
This soft-sided book has 180 pages and is full workbook-sized. The print is large, and it has lots of room to work out problems underneath each one.
With that said, as a very visual learner, I would still be one of those people needing extra scrap paper or choosing to work in a notebook instead – that’s just my style. I like the option of keeping everything self-contained, though.
This book is not a full math curriculum, but it does make an excellent supplement. The problems – which my kids regard as fun puzzles – are sorted by chapter, so that there are chapters about number theory, classical brain teasers, algebra word problems, coin problems, and much more. There are enough of each type of problem to give students the opportunity to learn different strategies to solve that type, but the problems are not identical-but-with-different-numbers like you might find in a typical math workbook. I love that variety!
Each chapter starts off with notes to the teacher. There are also hints about how one might solve the particular types of problems in that chapter. (There are more general problem-solving tips in the front of the book.) Both of these are really great – and since I have two very different problem solvers in my house, these really came in handy!
I have yet to see a math curriculum that teaches a really wide variety of problem-solving techniques. Sure, most mention different ways to solve problems, but there just isn’t time, when math is the main focus, to spend a significant amount of time teaching all the ways that one could solve each problem. That’s why the Mastering Logic & Math Problem Solving book – and so many of The Critical Thinking Co.™’s other logic books – are so fantastic. Sure, they teach math, or vocabulary, or some other basic skill, but the primary focus is the thinking. The critical thinking. It’s all about thinking about how you think, which is often skipped over in regular school curriculum but is a super important skill in real life.
I love that this book really focuses in on how to solve each problem. I don’t know how many problems there are in the book, or how much you’d have to do at a time if you were trying to finish the entire book in a single school year; but we have our own approach, and it is a lot of fun. If our way isn’t for you, however, students can easily work through the book on their own, at their own pace. The book is very self-explanatory, but …
My kids keep a notebook and pen near their spot at the kitchen table. Each day at lunch I pick a problem from the book and read it to them. They pull out their notebooks, if they need them, and they work to solve the problem. Often one of them is able to work out at least part of the solution before the other, and they’ll discuss what they did and maybe what has them stuck. One usually takes notes or makes sketches, while the other might right down some numbers and then start yelling out the answer. It all works, and their different problem-solving styles prompts some really great discussions.
Since both of my kids are taking high-school level math classes right now, they have the skills necessary to solve the math portion of these problems. The math doesn’t stump them as much as how to set up or how to think about the challenges presented, and that’s why we love these puzzles. Since that’s what we want to focus on, we don’t do these math problems in order; instead, we choose a problem and talk about potential ways to tackle it. Then, over the course of the next few days, we might try a few similar problems, but before they get too comfortable (and therefore bored) with that problem type, we pick another type from the book. Then we circle back around later to give that first type another try. It helps solidify their thinking, and it keeps the puzzle work fun.
While we used to do all of our schoolwork together, as the kids have gotten older with more distinct talents and abilities, they do most of their work separately. That just makes solving these problems all the more fun. After we did a few of these problems, snuck in whenever we found time, they asked to do them each day at lunch, and that routine has worked very well for us. We’re now working in a variety of math problem solving and review, disguised as puzzles and fun, while honing in on critical thinking and problem solving. It’s a win all the way around!
Don’t take my word for it, though. Read other reviews from the Homeschool Review Crew by clicking on the graphic below.
Interested in other products from The Critical Thinking Co.? Check out my other review here.
