Practical Arithmetics Book 1 (Gr. 3-4)

SKU
022834
Grade 3-4
Neutral
Medium Teacher Involvement
Visual
No other materials needed
Sequential
Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.
Our Price
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Description
Book 1 covers addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and introduces geometry, fractions, and measurement.

Customer requests always get our attention because some of our favorite products have surfaced that way. It's easy to see why Practical Arithmetic would appeal to those wanting to keep their schooling experience basic, practical, inexpensive, and yet challenging. Originally published in 1934 and reprinted in 2007, with current book printings in 2021 and 2022 (content hasn’t changed though paper color may be a tad darker in later printings). These palm-sized (5"x7"x1.5") hardback books demand your respect from the beginning – they're a glimpse of life in the past lane. First of all, explanations are kept as simple as possible requiring the student to take only one step at a time. Then, mastery is achieved through practice exercises (lots of them). Finally, application problems relate to real life – or at least real life in the 1930s. One of the unique aspects of the series is the role of tests - and there are several different types of tests. Improvement Tests provide review; the test topics are previously studied material not included in the most recent instruction. In other words, if instruction has been on multiplication, the Improvement Test will cover addition and subtraction. Problem Tests are word problems. These tests are arranged in groups known as Groups A, B, and C, each consisting of three tests (i.e. A1, A2, A3, etc.). The problems on Test A1 cover the same range of difficulty as those found on Tests A2 and A3. By test A3 the student should have all problems right on the test. Perhaps the most valuable type of test in the series is the Diagnostic Test. These tests provide several rows of problems, each of a similar sort, with the instructions that if a student misses an exercise in any row, they need more practice and should return to the listed Help Pages. These tests are an ingenious method for keeping track of a student's proficiencies and for providing extra help if needed. All instruction, exercises, problems, and tests are provided sequentially as a student works their way through a book. All answers are in the back of the book.

Each 500-page book includes two years of instruction. Book 1 covers addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and introduces geometry, fractions, and measurement. Book 2 reviews basic operations and covers fractions, decimals, and basic operations with each; measurement; consumer and personal applications; percentage; and graphs. Book 3 covers banking interest, geometry, installment buying, stocks, bonds, investments, ratio and proportion, square roots, writing and solving equations.

Originally designed to be very practical in terms of application, now from the vantage point of 75+ years, the word problems reflect both timeless content (i.e. proportions of the U.S. flag) and amusingly quaint historical perspective – "wonderful machine is more than human" (i.e. an electric calculating machine). Of course, any problems involving monetary costs are poignantly archaic.

Since we're on the subject of money, I should mention that for the amazing sum of significantly less than $10 per year, this series represents a very economical math education. You'll have to be prepared to do without the amenities of workbooks, worksheets, color, manipulatives, scripted lessons, etc., but the books are surprisingly user-friendly and engaging. You certainly won't be sacrificing strength of instruction or content. I would probably start the series earlier than 3rd grade. A student completing the series should be ready for algebra, but since it means changing into another scope and sequence, it might be more comfortable to go into a pre-algebra and cover it quickly.  ~ Janice/Nancie

Details
More Information
Product Format:Hardcover Book
Brand:AB Publishing
Grades:3-4
Length in Inches:7
Width in Inches:5
Height in Inches:1.25
Weight in Pounds:1.15
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