Customer Reviews

50 Problem-Solving Lessons: The Best from 10 Years of Math Solutions Newsletters

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As a classroom special education teacher with 20 years of experience I have found this book to be a refreshing approach to teaching students. Marilyn Burns describes the lesson plans in this book as how they were actually presented to the students in the classroom. Marilyn uses a dialogue approach in showing teachers how to implement a given lesson. She also connects each math lesson to a writing exercise where the students have to explain the process that they used when solving the given math problem. Marilyn also gives examples of the students writing for each lesson. The lesson plans in this math book are based on Constructivist Theory. Jean Piaget's work forms the basis for Constructivist Theory. I have tried 10 of the Problem Solving lessons in my class from this book. Each lesson has captured the interest of the students and helped experience a basic math concept. Usually after I have done one of the lessons from this book the students always tell me how much fun the math class was and that they would like to do that given activity again. I also enjoy teaching the math lessons. Although as a special education teacher I did make a few modifications to the lesson before I presented it in my classroom. I highly recommend this book to any math teacher.

I have used this book as a teacher of Kindergarteners, 1st Graders, and 2nd Graders. I now use it as a Homeschooling mom of 3. It seems that chikdren no longer "learn by doing". Marilyn Burns reminds us that the "process" tells us as much as the final result when it comes to how children process math knowledge. You will not regret this purchase.

I love this book...I have used it with grades 2-5 and have found great success. As with all Marilyn Burns/Math Solutions publications, this is a must have resource for all teachers.

The author sells herself as a concerned teacher but what is obvious from the book is that she is just another businesswoman trying to sell some vague pontifications to the general public.