The Essential Algebra for Advanced High School and SAT is a 241-page math book in the Mathematical Reasoning series and is a new, 'essential' resource for building the foundation of ongoing excellence in mathematics. This book offers an in-depth approach to teaching math skills focusing on important algebraic concepts that are vital to a student's success in advanced high school mathematics.
Algebra is essentially the language of all advanced mathematic courses. It is generalized arithmetic, so the rules that apply when we are working with number and fraction operations—including the knowledge of factors and multiples—also apply when we are working with algebra.
The lessons within this book teach fundamental arithmetic principles that govern algebra so that students can apply them, as needed, in advanced mathematical courses and in life. The book begins with the definition of a "term" and the facts of when you can cancel and when you cannot. It discusses the importance of factors and multiples and integer rules. It teaches addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of fractions – not by doing the problems up and down like they are mostly done in elementary school, but by doing them sideways just like they are done later in algebra and in higher-level math. This helps make everything so much easier down the road!
The explanations are clear and followed with basic step-by-step procedures to show students how to master and apply those fraction concepts, negative number operations, exponent rules, work with square roots, and doing real life percent problems with charts and tables, just like those on the SAT's. Concepts are purposefully repeated in different settings, so students will keep re-applying what they learn throughout the book. The language is friendly to put students at ease and increase their confidence while learning concepts that are often confusing.
Did you find this review helpful?