TCM Reviewing and Viewing October 2017

“This book covers the purposes for math in real-world situations. It explains why math is important for students to learn. The words in the book are actually lyrics to be sung with music provided on a CD. This book would be appropriate to use with students in K–grade 2. The CD is easy to use with the book; the class sings the lyrics, and the teacher turns the pages. Suggestions extend students’ learning experience, such as the How Many Pennies in One Dollar? activity. The strength of the book is its use of music to promote students’ multiple intelligences while exploring the reasons to learn math concepts. The only weakness to mention is that the QR reader code provided on the book leads to a web page where locating the music for the book takes a little time. Having the CD would save time for teachers. Many students wonder why they need to learn math. Here is a fun, engaging method that uses real-world applications to explain the importance of learning math. At the conclusion of the book is an activity for students to describe ways they use math in their lives.”

—Paula Webb, Cobb County School Board, Marietta, Georgia.

Math Saves the Day! A Song for Budding Scientists. Blake and Katie Hoena, 2017. ISBN 978-1-6329-0587-1. 24 pp. further reading. glossary. music included. Cantata Learning. $33.99.