Interactive Math Program: Year 4 [Hardcover]

Lynne Alper (Author), Dan Fendel (Author), Sherry Fraser (Author), Diane Resek (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 478 pages
• Publisher: Key Curriculum Press (2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559533447
• ISBN-13: 978-1559533447
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,156,163 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best math text available, August 30, 2006

By 

Jeremy S. Touzel (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Interactive Math Program: Year 4 (Hardcover)

First of all, let me state that I am a math teacher. I have taught using a variety of math texts and, in my professional opinion, IMP is the best by far. Compared to traditional curricula that teach procedures and algorithms, IMP teaches students how to understand math--not just how to *do* math. The program is problem-based, which allows students to interact with math in a much more authentic context than traditional texts that just require students to manipulate algebraic symbols without really understanding what any of it means. Students who use IMP enjoy taking math, understand how it is relevant to their lives, are more likely to take future math classes, are better able to communicate their ideas, and still score as well or better than peers taking traditional math. In fact, IMP has been identified by the U.S. Department of Education's Mathematics and Science Expert Panel (1999) as an exemplary mathematics program (See The Mathematics Teacher. Oct 2001 Vol.94, Iss. 7; pg. 540 for a detailed review).

For some reason, there are a lot of opponents of IMP and other reform curricula. I believe they feel threatened by a new way of learning math that is different than the way the learned it growing up. When I was in school, I learned traditional math and did well grade-wise. I got excellent grades and eventually majored in mathematics, but I did not really understand a lot of what I learned. I knew how to *do* it extremely well, but I didn't understand how to use it in the real-world. I have learned as much math *teaching* with IMP as I ever did as a math major.

There is a great deal of research on the subject, and I encourage anyone interested to look more into it instead of listening solely to myself or those with opposing opinions.

5.0 out of 5 stars I took IMP each year in high school, August 16, 2011

By 

Archae - See all my reviews

This review is from: Interactive Math Program: Year 4 (Hardcover)

I loved this program. I can say that I was far better prepared for college than any of my peers. These problems forced me to understand math in my own way, not to simply learn a formula, memorize it and learn where to use it. I learned how to form my own formulas, why they work, where they're useful and so much more. Some of it made me want to pull my hair out (I always had problems with the In/Out tables!), but I was forced to think. I could actually feel the strain of trying to comprehend, and it was wonderful. It gave me a thirst for knowledge, and I can honestly say that it heightened the rate in which I come to understand things today. Even now, when I am between semesters and I feel my mind start to dull, I just pull out one of my IMP books and resolve a problem. This is an excellent program, a valuable resource that I plan to use when my children are ready to learn it.

1.0 out of 5 stars No wonder kids hate math, April 9, 2011

By 

montmeru "montmeru" (SEATTLE, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Interactive Math Program: Year 4 (Hardcover)

When taught from books like these. This type of instruction presumes that kids learn only in the class room. If you are an engaged parent wishing to help coach your child at home, this book is maddeningly frustrating because all the context is with the class room teacher and you are given a book that is lacking context and is full of meaningless tripe. If your child had any interest in math, this book would make sure they'd start hating it. That's the compromise I suppose for sparking a tiny amount of interest in math in kids who hated math to begin with.
America should give this type of instruction the boot if we ever hope to get our children interested in math and engineering.