Description
Praise for “Elementary and Middle School Mathematics.” Overall, this book is an excellent resource for those who are investigating the teaching of mathematics at the elementary and middle school levels Above all, the emphasis on student-centered problem solving is consistent with current trends and practices. This book is unique in that it challenges assumptions and traditional practices. Katherine Chamberlain, Lycoming College I have used Van de Walle since it came on the market and still feel it is, by far, the best available! The layout is excellent. The philosophical basis of the text is superb-It’s easy to read by both undergraduates and graduate students in that it makes connections between their experiences and the philosophical foundations. Three major strengths include the references to the NCTM “Standards,” inclusion of algebraic thought at all grade levels, and the continued development of the same themes and philosophical foundations. Tim Whiteford, Trinity College of Vermont [One] of the major reasons why Van de Walle’s text is so useful is the text’s involvement of the reader in the development of mathematical reasoning. It creates a “thinker.” Timothy Touzel, Coastal Carolina University New to the Fifth Edition Inspired by one of the five process standards in the NCTM “Principles and Standards’, Content Connections” is a new feature that highlights the connections between content areas in mathematics in various chapters. NCTM icons appear in nearly every chapter and point explicitly to the alignment of this book with the NCTM “Principles and Standards” throughexcerpts and commentary. Investigations in Number, Data, and Space and Connected Mathematics features spotlight examples of these two popular reform curricula for the K-5 and 6-8 grade levels, respectively. These excerpts occur in every chapter in Section 2, include an activity from the program along with a description of the surrounding content. The purpose is to acquaint students with materials reflecting the spirit of the NCTM “Standards” and the constructivist philosophy of the book. Stop and Reflect features indicate places throughout the book to pause and become truly engaged with an idea. Chapter 6, Planning in a Problem-Based Curriculum- includes a new step-by-step guide for planning student-centered lessons. A distinction between practice and drill provides a new perspective on the issue of drill. The Geometry chapter (Ch. 20) is completely revised to reflect the four goals of the NCTM “Standards”–Shapes and Properties, Transformations, Location, and Visualization. Coverage of multicultural issues and ethnomathematics, as well as other issues related to special needs have been updated to reflect current trends and research (Ch. 7). The technology chapter (Ch. 8) reflects the most current technology available for teaching elementary mathematics, including online applets, such as those found in NCTM’s “e-Standards,” and other Web-based resources. About the Author John A. Van de Walle is Professor Emeritus, Virginia Commonwealth University. As a mathematics education consultant, he regularly works with K-8 teachers and in elementary school classrooms, and has taught mathematics to children at all levels, K-8.He is also a co-author of the Scott Foresman, Addison Wesley Mathematics K,6 series.
