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Great Estimations (by Bruce Goldstone)

common sense media says

Learn the tricks up every mathematician's sleeve.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this book offers positive, common sense lessons that build math awareness and quantity recognition. Younger kids will enjoy looking at the pictures and doing the simpler lessons; older kids and adults will appreciate the harder challenges.

Positive messages: Not applicable.
Violence & scariness: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.

More on Great Estimations

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about each page and the lesson it offers. What is an estimation? How does it differ from a real number? How can you train your mind and your eye to make a good guess when you are trying to figure out how many jelly beans are in the jar or elbows in a box of macaroni? Practice clumping or box counting. Which works best for you? Can you think of other techniques that might help you make good estimations? Apply what you've learned when you go on drives, walks, or to the supermarket. Make a point of always guessing before you count.

What's the story?

What's the story?
Beginning pages introduce the basic idea of making estimations and then offer increasingly difficult examples to train the eye to remember. The last part of the book teaches more advanced tricks of clump counting and boxing. Finally, the reader is challenged to look for and solve estimation puzzles wherever they go.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Learning to make strong guesses about numbers and quantities is just about the most important skill any mathematician can learn. But figuring out a number that makes sense can be overwhelming unless you know a few tricks. GREAT ESTIMATIONS by educational writer Bruce Goldstone helps take the mystery out of guessing. Readers will feel more comfortable estimating as they turn each vibrantly illustrated page and learn clever but simple techniques for coming up with answers that make sense.

Beginning with a cover jumbled with jelly beans, the reader is led through progressive lessons with a question, a statement, and a hint or two on each set of pages. Engaging examples including collections of toys, candies, coins, seeds, beans, doll shoes, and people in a pool. This common sense, clearly written book proves that math can be fun and offers entertaining, invaluable lessons that will make any reader feel more secure in the world of numbers.

Book themes & details

Book Details
Author: Bruce Goldstone
Illustrator: Bruce Goldstone
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, Inc.
Publication date: August 22, 2006
Number of pages: 32
Hardcover price: $16.95
Read Aloud: 4
Read Alone: 7

This review was written by Patricia Tauzer
 
 

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age