Math Grades 6-8

Math 7: A Teaching Textbook

Teaching Textbooks 7
Author(s): 
Greg Sabouri
Shawn Sabouri
Number of pages: 
588 pages
Copyright: 
2006
Publisher: 
Teaching Textbooks
Binding: 
Spiralbound
Subject(s): 
Grade / Age level: 
Resource Type: 
Review: 
TT advertises their product as not needing any parental assistance, e.g. from their FAQ page:
Q7. Can students work through the program completely on their own with no help from Mom or Dad? A. Of course! That’s the whole idea behind the Teaching Textbook™.
However, the definition of the associative property as given for both addition and multiplication is wrong. The property described in the book / CD as the "associative property" is actually a combintation of the associative and the commutative properties. Please see my post on Unity of Truth for more details and the correct definitions of the properties. I find this sort of error to be troubling as I imagine many students and parents would not catch it, especially as the product is billed as self-teaching. TT's response to this concern was less than satisfactory. They wrote:
As for the properties, we have rigorous definitions of the commutative and associative properties in Pre-Alg. and other books. At the Math 7 stage, we feel it is more important for the student to acquire a general understanding of the underlying concepts rather than overwhelm them with technical definitions. That's why we didn't draw a precise distinction between these properties.
I find this surprising as many state standards consider the associative property to be an elementary-school level concept (for example second grade in California). Further, when I checked the Algebra 1 book, I found that the same error is repeated, and in fact expanded on, there. I quote from Lesson 26, page 126:
You already know the rule that two numbers can be added in any order (the commutative property of addition). Well, it turns out that this rule can actually be extended to longer strings of numbers. ... So our new rule is that a string of numbers (however many) can be added in any order. The technical name for this rule is the associative property of addition.
This, unfortunately, is wrong. The associative property is not the commutative property "extended to longer strings of numbers." It is a completely separate and independent property. Nor is it the rule "that a string of numbers (however many) can be added in any order," although it is one of the properties that makes that rule possible. After the above quote, the book correctly lists the equation defining the associative property, but then goes on to say things like:
That means the expression 3 + x + 4 + 1 can be rearranged any way you want and its value won't change. So 3 + x + 4 + 1 and x + 3 + 4 + 1 and 1 + 4 + 3 + x are all equivalent.
This example concretely shows the confusion on this topic by moving the operands around. This is possible only with the commutative property. The associative property does not allow rearranging of operands. Please see here for more on the commutative and associative properties. Though these problems have been disappointing, overall, I would still recommend this program.
Additional notes: 

Also includes answer key and 4 CD Set

Purchasers of the original CD edition, which contained several errors in the solutions, can exchange them for corrected CDs. Please contact Teaching Textbooks (customerservice@teachingtextbooks.com).

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
3-13-2007

Math Talk

mathematical ideas in poems for two voices
Book cover: Math Talk
Author(s): 
Theoni Pappas
Sherman K. Stein
Number of pages: 
71 pages
Copyright: 
1999
ISBN / ID: 
0933174748
Publisher: 
Wide World Publishing/Tetra
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Resource Type: 
Review: 

I have long been a fan of the poems for two voices books by Paul Fleischman. This book puts a twist on the idea by covering math topics in poems. It's a really unique and engaging way to memorize a math concept, reciting it as a poem. A poem for two voices is a poem recited by two people where sometimes the same words are said in tandem, sometimes alternately, and sometimes, the speakers speak at the same time saying different things. Here is a sample of part of a poem from the book: (The first column is the first speaker and the second column, the second - shown smaller than actual size)

Some of the math concepts in the poems are fairly simple ideas that would pertain to a grammar school student, however most of the ideas are for middle schoolers or high schoolers. There were a few math concepts I had never heard of, such as fractals, (the geometry of nature), Fibonacci numbers (adding the last two numbers in a series to give the next number), and Mobius strips (circular strip with a twist in it).

While you don't learn everything you need to know about the math concepts in the poems, you get an introduction to the idea and the basic or interesting facts. For tessellations, the reader learns that not all figures tessellate; for triangles, the reader learns that the angles in the figure must equal 180 degrees. Some of the accompanying illustrations are also instructive. I could not have visualized the Mobius strip without the drawing of it.

This is a fun way to talk about these concepts. Trying to say the poems as a team takes a lot of concentration and brings a lot of laughs along the way. The book would make a great addition to a living math program or be a nice break from a formal textbook program.

Recommended for grades 4-12

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
6-21-05