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.
I had never used this kind of product before, so I was looking forward to reviewing Mastering Logic & Math Problem Solving by The Critical Thinking Co.™
WHAT IS IT?:
Mastering Logic & Math Problem Solving is a workbook designed for students in grades 6-9 to sharpen their critical thinking skills in logic and problem solving using math. This 180-page workbook not only provides plenty of problems to solve, but it also includes full answer keys, problem-solving strategies, and even bonus activities at the back of the book.
This workbook can be purchased for just $17.99.
OUR EXPERIENCE:
Holden is 12 years old, and he was just finishing up 6th grade when we started using this workbook. We thought it would be a fun thing to do together before school in the mornings, and we were right! These critical thinking problems were just what we needed to get our brains warmed up for the day and get us thinking outside the box just a little.
The book starts out by explaining what problem solving is all about ,how to use the book, and some strategies on working through the problems.
There are a variety of problem types in the book. It starts off with multicultural logic problems and then breaks that down into “Crossing the River Problems” and “Kin Problems.” We tried some of each.
Chapter 2 went into “Fun With Classical Brain Teasers.”
Chapter 3 had “Number Theory Problems.”
Chapter 4 had “Problem Solving with Sets.”
Chapter 5 included “Ratio, Proportion, and Percent Problems.”
When we got to Chapter 6, I realized the book was going into “Algebra Word Problems.” From this point and beyond, the math was too advanced for Holden, as he is just beginning Pre-Algebra for 7th grade, so he was not able to complete any problems in the remainder of the book. However, I did do the first page in this section and talk through the process with him just so he could what kinds of things he’ll be learning in our new school year. Additional chapters cover geometry, more algebra, probability, and topology, plus some bonus activities in the back following the answer key.
Neither of us had ever used critical thinking products before, but I have to say that we enjoyed it very much! Particularly, we found the logic problems to be very challenging at times. We just had to approach them a little differently than we would normally think about things, but once we got the hang of that, we were on a roll!
We worked on them together to see who could solve them first. If Holden ended up having to give up or was just way off base with his answer, I’d begin talking him through it with little hints, and then he’d usually pick it up with just a little help from me. Then we’d have a good laugh about how “sneaky” the answer was and move on to the next challenge. It was lots of fun! We’re both pretty good at math, so we found the math problem solving a lot easier for us than some of the logic problems.
I really liked this workbook. I think we will continue to use it for its brain teasers to get our minds awakened before starting our school day. You really do need to train your mind to think outside the box sometimes. This book has been a great help with that, and I highly recommend it!
Check out what other Crew members have to say about various products from The Critical Thinking Co.™ by clicking the banner below.
No comments:
Post a Comment