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I have two boys, a pre-teen and a teenager; so sports are a frequent topic of conversation in our home. Neither of my boys enjoys math, but both love sports. Basketball Math is a clever resource for melding the two. Basketball Math is not designed to replace your math curriculum, but it is a well-thought-out addition to it. At just $12.95, it won't break the budget either.
The book is written for grades 4-8 and will be appealing to any child, boy or girl, who has an interest in basketball. The book opens with an introduction for parents and teachers, followed by a short introduction for students. While you certainly will not have a problem using the book without reading those sections, I recommend that you do. You will gain a better understanding of the types of problems used throughout the book.
The Contents section is quite useful for lesson planning. The name of each lesson is followed by the type of math concept that the lesson covers and the page number. This small but welcome feature helps me to quickly locate a lesson that will reinforce the concepts we intend to practice.
Each lesson includes background information about the problem, related charts or other visuals necessary for solving the problems, and one to six actual problems. Many lessons also include thinking questions and related projects to enhance learning. An easy-to-read answer key and a complete index can be found at the end of the book.
I use this book biweekly for my 5th grader to reinforce what we are learning in his math curriculum and monthly for my 9th grader to review some concepts that he hasn't worked with in some time.
Overall, I am pleased to have found this excellent resource for my children. I find that when they can practice a concept with a subject they are excited about, not only do they learn better, but they complain less! Who could ask for more than that?
Product review by Susan Wojtkowski, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, January 2008
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