Author: Dorling Kindersley, John Kennedy
Overall Rating (1-10): 8
Value (1-10): 8
Flexibility (1-10): 8
Ages/Grades: K - 5
Review:
I picked up these books, per a friend's recommendation, at my local warehouse club (Costco, to be exact). The two grades I am reviewing are first and fourth although there is a book for every grade from Kindergarten through Fifth.
For a workbook, I found the list price to be a bit exorbitant at $14.99. The discount through the warehouse club brought the price down to $8.89 which I thought was reasonable enough to bother but still a little on the high side for my shoestring budget.
The book uses a reward system which some children and parents might find appealing. Every page completed earns the child a gold star sticker and a fully completed book earns the child a certificate. Many homeschoolers are opposed to the use of rewards as motivational tools and the page of gold stickers can easily be removed prior to introducing the workbook to the child.
Overall, I found the books to be very challenging for the grade level they represent which is something I appreciate in a math workbook. It seems so many of the books we have tried in the past are full of rote work that has the tendency to make children feel dumbed down. If you feel rote memorization is an important and crucial aspect of math, you will have to supplement. There is a lot of practice and drill work in the fourth grade book but none in the first grade book.
Although challenging, both of my children responded favorably to their workbooks. They both worked through the pages eagerly and of their own volition, without my asking at all! I think this is because the pages are laid out in a way that is inviting for children (as are all Doring Kindersley products!). The pages look like fun, not like an overwhelming list of problems to solve. There are more than one way of relating to each concept presented which helps drive home the lessons for a variety of learning styles. Likewise, the books cover a wide variety of maths - not just your basics.
As an example of what you can expect to find, I have listed out just a few of the different areas of study in each of the two books I reviewed with my children:
First Grade:
-Patterns
-Addition and Subtraction ranging from simple problems to double digits requiring carrying and regrouping
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