LC4A and the Big Test: A Math Storybook (The Duer Press Children's Math Picture Books 1)

Math word problems can be a challenge for many children. This book provides strategies for solving them in the form of a colorful, entertaining story.

LC4A is an alien child who has a big math test at school today. She has some uneasiness about taking a test. It's important to do well. But she remembers that she knows a lot of fun and interesting strategies to use in solving her problems. LC's colorful alien world is the backdrop for her adventure in learning.

This math storybook features non-routine problems in which the needed operation or operations is not disclosed. Keys to choosing the proper operation, in the form of contextual clues and techniques for identifying them, are the focus of the story. Though the word problems are constructed from the second grade level curriculum, their non-routine nature makes them of interest to a range of ages.

Word problems are often seen as being particularly challenging. A panicky feeling of not knowing where to start is the enemy of learning---and is all too commonly accepted as "normal" when word problems are introduced. But children can develop a positive attitude toward them (and toward math in general). Through creative and enjoyable experiences with math, children can be helped to develop an attitude of "this will be fun to solve; what should I try first?"

LC's bright and vibrant world--designed to illustrate pedagogically sound principles of mathematics education--can provide that enjoyment to children and parents alike.