Math for Humans : Teaching Math Through 8 Intelligences [Paperback]

Mark Wahl (Author)

Book Description

Math for Humans is both a theory and methods resource in its first 90 pages and an activity resource with full teacher support (a kind of hands-on teacher training) in its last 150 pages. Its vocabulary is broad and its techniques more inclusive of all learners than other references. It goes ell to "color up" other teaching material. Its over 90 reproducible activities tap eight of the intelligences of students regularly, widely and innovatively, communicating the point that math can contain a kaleidoscope of appeals to a wide variety of mental processing. The two parts of the book afford the widest learning options for teachers: read up on theory and resources or plunge in and learn "in the field" while using the activities. At the end is a teacher resource list, including important resource websites. The activities are either real-life oriented or at least they have a math theory "payoff," so they don't seem trivial or irrelevant. There are easy ways to extend the activities up and down in challenge; they are graphically interesting; they cluster in fourteen integrated topical groups; and they have in-depth teacher support that provides a type of inservice training as the activities are used.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Dear Mr. Wahl, I am a special education teacher in Connecticut, presently working with middle school children who are learning disabled. I use your book, Math for Humans everyday with the children and it has been a fabulous experience! We start the day with journal writing and sentence correction and a section from a unit from the book. The kids really get into the topic and don't even realize that it's math! We have incorporated it into the program as a daily part of our day. I can tell you that it works for these learning disabled students very well. It is innovative, interesting and I particularly appreciate the use of multiple intelligences. All students learn in different ways and have different strengths and weaknesses. The book is designed to address all of the intelligences and that is certainly a help for me and my students. I can modify what each student does by using the various activities you have included, making it appropriate for the lower students as well as the more gifted ones. I highly recommend this book for all teachers who teach special education or regular ed. It is easy to use, fun and a great way to get kids involved in and appreciative of math! Sincerely, Barbara Feldman --Teacher

...I have used your materials for years in Australia and have promoted your publications to teachers throughout Australia as I was an educational consultant for years there with the Association of Independent Schools. Your work was such an inspiration to me and the students and teachers I worked with. Thank you for that inspiration.... Liz Dieter --Australian teacher/consultant

Mr. Wahl, I have your book, Math for Humans: Teaching Math Through 8 Intelligencers, and I've found it extremely helpful. I have to present at a special education workshop and I want to share one of my favorite math activities from your book with the group. I realize that some of the pages are reproducible, but I just want to let you know that I'll be bragging about your book and presenting one of the lessons it contains. I wish I had time to order a book to give away as a door prize, but I thought about it too late and the workshop is next week. I teach math skills to special ed students in a resource class at my school. I told my department about it and two of teachers have purchased their own copies. Your book really reinforces what we do in special education. Special ed teachers are constantly looking for strategies that teach to their students' strengths. I have found your book extremely useful. A Jones --Learning specialist

From the Publisher

Math for Humans is a unique resource that connects the popular Multiple Intelligences theory of Howard Gardner with the teaching of mathematics. Learning styles, brain hemisphericity, and Mark Wahl's piercing insights and experiences power the book. The 90 ready-to-go activities with extensive support comments and answers make it a kind of training-as-you-go for teachers or parents new to the intricacies of math learning.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Livnlern Press; Revised edition (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965641481
• ISBN-13: 978-0965641487
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #90,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Math for Humans by Mark Wahl, April 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Math for Humans : Teaching Math Through 8 Intelligences (Paperback)

This valuable collection of Math {teaching and learning strategies}for humans definitely lives up to its name. Superheros like Math Mole, who touts "the best of what moles have to offer" professes that "the real secret of his success in problem solving is his ability to "get his paws dirty,go after subtle leads (always keeping his sense of purpose and direction), then chomp into real results at the end." Like Math mole, Mark Wahl can "sniff a solution from a distance;" what's more, Mr. Wahl can help younsters sniff out solutions and math know-how by appealing to the best children have to offer: their eight basic intelligences! From merely scanning this book, one might pick up tips to use in the classroom immediately. For example,I used a mind map, or graphic organizer,from this book to show my students how to mulitply fractions times whole numbers. It took less than one minute, and my fourth grade math students were enchanted! I can hardly wait to try the other activities Mr. Wahl has developed for students!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Math Book Ever!, June 1, 2006

By 

M. Muchmore-Thompson (Puyallup, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Math for Humans : Teaching Math Through 8 Intelligences (Paperback)

After our state testing this spring, I decided to have "fun" with math using Mark Wahl's Math for Humans. Little did I know that I would open up an entirely new way of teaching and learning math. I have never seen my 4th graders so engaged and excited by math. Every day they are making new connections and discovering the amazing world of numbers. I've even heard some of my students talking about math outside of the classroom! Each project matches many of the grade-level expectations for Washington State across the five math strands. My students can't wait for the next project and I can't wait to teach math next year beginning with Math for Humans!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant multi-sensory approach to Math, November 6, 2007

By 

S. Lederman "WildAboutMath.com" (Santa Fe, NM) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Math for Humans : Teaching Math Through 8 Intelligences (Paperback)

Mark Wahl is brilliant. He provides inspiration, explanation, and techniques (with plenty of examples) for using Gardner's Multiple Intelligences to teach Math to students who may excel in one kind of intelligence over another. The 1997 edition of the book I have was written when Gardner's theory included 7 intelligences. The theory now includes 8 intelligences and Wahl's book has been updated to reflect that.

Wahl leads in his introduction with a great story of a second grader he met who was a budding artist, possessing very high spatial intelligence. She couldn't, however, learn (i.e. memorize) her addition tables. Judgment aside about the value of her teacher and parents forcing that she learn the tables in the timetable and not hers, Wahl undertook the challenge to teach her the arithmetic table. He had her make pictures of the symbols in "8 + 7 = 15' on a large index card and then had her make cards for other Math facts. This student was able to learn Math facts by making her own artistic flash cards. She got to learn by using her high spatial intelligence.

The book provides examples of how to "season", as Wahl likes to say, Math lessons with the multiple intelligences (MI). He gives examples for:

* Linguistic Intelligence (writing about what you learned or experienced)
* Spatial Intelligence (diagrams with symbols, flow charts for procedures, visual mnemonics, charts, mind maps, graphs, Venn diagrams, branching trees)
* Musical-Rhythmic Intelligence (clapping, singing, humming, rhythmic movement, rhythmic words, jingles)
* Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (cubes, blocks, Cuisenaire Rods, calculators, and other manipulatives)
* Intrapersonal Intelligence (sharing of thoughts, feelings, and ideas with others)
* Interpersonal Intelligence (discussing of cross-cultural and historical aspects of Math topics)
* Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (deepening the analysis of concepts, posing questions, making connections, furthering exploration)

Wahl discusses brain hemisphericity, how to use left and right brain skills together to do Math. He discusses learning styles, how to use an understanding of a student's temperament to create an environment for succeeding in Math. He explains the value of students working cooperatively toward solving problems. And, Wahl presents a chapter on dealing with Math anxiety.

While the first half of the book presents and illustrates quite a bit of theory, the second half grounds us with concrete examples, quite a number of activities, that apply what we've learned earlier to real-world classroom and tutoring experiences.

All in all, Math for Humans is a fabulous book, chock full of very inspiring information and ideas with tremendous power to help teachers, tutors, coaches, and parents to teach Math in ways that students can really get and enjoy.