With 38 years of teaching experience behind her, Donna Murdock passes on her extensive knowledge of elementary math in this thorough tutorial guide designed to help students and educators solidify foundational concepts.
Murdock created this guide “especially for [students to] independently learn how to do all of the basic math concepts and skills needed for all future math skills.” She briefly explains how the guide is also useful to parents as a “refresher course,” educators as a “quick reference,” and home schoolers to help them “work independently at their own pace.”
The author begins with a complete overview of basic math concepts like addition and subtraction and steadily advances to more complicated concepts like fractions, graphing, and geometry. She ends with an introduction to pre-algebra (which some state standards may consider advanced for 5th grade). Her extensive experience shines through in the notes and tips she provides, adding value to her guide.
The book’s black typeface and no-frills pages are perfect for children who are easily distracted by busy pages cluttered with colorful non-essential pictures. Although the font is rather small, Murdock teaches each concept with concise, clear wording and provides ample examples. The absence of practice problems keeps true to reference style, although some might wish for an index at the back.
The book is mostly free of typographical errors, but there are a few serious mistakes that may cause confusion, especially for students. For example, the images showing hundredths on page 93 are mislabeled; the sign for multiplication is written as a division sign in Step 2 on page 101, and an angle is improperly named on page 190. An adult familiar with the material, however, can easily help a child understand these accidental misprints.
The book is based on Murdock’s notes that “helped her many students excel” on exams. This sets it apart from other math resources, making it an excellent addition to any elementary education library.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
