Grapes Of Math (bkshelf) (Scholastic Bookshelf)

I read this book to a third-grader, who struggles in math and is just being introduced to multiplication. For the first couple of riddles he kept trying to count one-by-one and the answers in the back were helpful in showing him a different approach. After awhile he started finding patterns on his own. Once he realized he was "getting the hang of it," his face lit up, he got really excited, and wanted to try some more riddles. By the end of the book he was approaching problem solving in a whole new way and he was really proud of himself!

I highly recommend this book!


Mind - Opening Math   April 18, 2004
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is a great book! The illustrations are vibrant, eye-catching, and really appealing! The rhyming riddles are clever and challenging! The poetic wording of the riddles and the great illustrations make this math book fun and interesting. This book truly is the "mind-stretching" book it claims to be. It does a great job of getting kids to open their minds and approach problem solving in a whole new way. They are encouraged to move beyond simply counting one-by-one and try finding patterns to count by. It is useful for introducing the concept of multiplication to them or for them to practice multiplication skills they already have.

I read this book to a third grader, who is just being introduced to multiplication. At first, he had a hard time with the riddles, wanted to count one-by-one, and didn't understand how tolook for patterns. Going over the solutions in the back helped him understand how he could have approached the riddle. After awhile, he started approaching the riddles differently and stopped trying to count everything one-by-one. When he finally got the hang of it, he was really excited. His face lit up in a big smile and he couldn't wait to try more riddles. By the end of the book he really was approaching problem solving in a new way. This was quite an accomplishment for a kid who struggles with math!

I highly recommend this book!


Grapes of Math   May 27, 2003
Jay
27 out of 27 found this review helpful

This book is a collection of 16 illustrated poems. In the back are the complete solutions. Most of the riddles deal with the repeated addition style of multiplication, but with a twist. In an array of five rows and five columns, there may be three missing. So, in order to find the total of 22 quickly, the student is guided to multiply five times five and then subtract the three missing ones.

The rhymes are catchy with the question in a different color font to help students when learning to decipher word problems. There is also a tip to the mental math solution following the question. The goal of this book is assisting students in learning to manipulate groups of objects in their mind.

I would suggest using a few poems as examples with real manipulatives and demonstrating to students how and why the solution can be found mentally. Read the solution along with them and physically move objects to show how they can multiply and then add or subtract, or even regroup objects. When students begin to catch on, invite them to try some more from the book, and write out the solutions before checking their answers. Advanced students may even want to create their own puzzles and illustrations. As an extra challenge, they can write the poems to go along with it. All of Tang's poems are written in couplets and this has the potential for being a good integration with language arts.

Why 5 stars?:
Tang has crafted a wonderful set of thinking exercises for students to explore mathematical properties through the use of patterns. By practicing with these poems, hopefully they will change the way in which they "see" difficult problems and be able to visualize in a way that makes sense to them.


the grapes of math   March 12, 2003
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

The grapes of math is a challenging book full of problem solveing.It was great to read and after i read it once i read it again and again,i liked the fish problem the best.

good luck reading it!

~sally


Many ways for teachers to implement this great book!   August 31, 2001
Anne Hunter, elementary school teacher (Great Falls, VA United States)
37 out of 38 found this review helpful

The Grapes of Math targets elementary students around the ages of 8-12, yet can be used in a simpler way with even younger children as an introduction to counting. There are sixteen colorful counting problems in the book, which are accompanied by a poem that provides a hint at counting the objects using a different method. Children are instructed not to count individual objects in the regular manner - "1...2...3..." - but rather to open their minds to new ways of perceiving the problems. Readers are encouraged to use creative methods, such as finding patterns, grouping, and using advanced problem-solving skills. These strategies direct students to solve a problem faster and more efficiently, and greatly incorporate the use of addition, subtraction and multiplication.

A teacher could use The Grapes of Math in many ways. One could post a problem each day, or week, on the board for children to solve at the beginning of a math lesson, to get students thinking mathematically, and on a higher level. Instructors could also break a class into pairs or small groups and photocopy the sixteen different problems, passing out a different problem to each pair/group. The children could have an allotted amount of time in which to come up with creative ways to count the objects on the page. After the pair/group has found several ways, they could vote on the most efficient method. Then the students could take turns sharing their solutions with the class. Furthermore, a teacher could share the book with his/her class, taking suggestions for the various problems and solving as a whole-class group. As a follow-up activity, children could design their own "counting problems," making colorful pictures with accompanying poetry to give their readers hints - such as the layout of The Grapes of Math. Then the children could trade with a partner and solve their partners' work.

I would highly recommend The Grapes of Math to future teachers. There are so many ways to implement this book, and it helps children who are learning multiplication a great deal. I enjoy the pictures, the poems, the creative solutions, and the challenges! I whole-heartedly rate this 5 STARS!