Ready for Addition

April 1, 2014
Grades 2-4 Math textbooks can't always offer extended explanation or enrichment activities, and worksheets alone aren't the answer. Enter the Ready for Math series. While this volume focuses only on addition, others feature subtraction, division, fractions, and decimals. Using simple language, humorous drawings, and plenty of examples, Wingard-Nelson clarifies each step in the addition process. The book proceeds from digit identification to basic addition, and then it moves on to more complicated concepts before tackling the dreaded word problem. Despite the abundant white space, the pages without illustrations seem text heavy. However, children, teachers, and parents may find this layout helpful in the way that it resembles a familiar sheet of paper. Wingard-Nelson's expertise in elementary mathematics is a plus, and worksheets are available from the publisher.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
Mathphobes may doubt Wingard-Nelson's promise: "Get ready to discover math...made easy!" Yet her concise explanations, clear examples, helpful diagrams, and clutter-free pages do make for friendly introductions to (or reviews of) math concepts. Illustrations, often humorous, help break up the text. There's nothing groundbreaking going on in these updated, retitled editions, but students and teachers will find the volumes useful. Reading list, websites. Ind.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)