Creative problem solving in school mathematics : a handbook for teachers, parents, students, and other interested people

"A most valuable resource book" This enriching book has nearly 300 pages of creative, stimulating and mentally invigorating thoughts and ideas on a multitude of teaching techniques and problem strategies for mathematics. It extends primary school mathematics through non-routine topics such as those listed below. It has many practice examples and also has a bank of Olympiad problems and their solutions. It is a definite must for all school reference libraries and for any teacher's personal shelves. Each topic is explored in depth. Each point made in the book is supported by a wealth of challenging problems, with complete, detailed solutions. Chapter Headings Include: Teaching Problem Solving Problem Solving Strategies Number Patterns Factors and Multiples Tests for Divisibility Fractions Geometry Measurement Logic Trains, Books, Clocks and Things The book is aimed at the teaching of problem solving to students in school Years 4 to 8, but is suitable for anyone wishing to improve their problem solving abilities. Book Sections: Part A : Discusses techniques for teaching problem solving Part B : Highlights strategies used to solve problems Part C : The heart of the book. It consists of seven sections, each containing from four to eight topics. Each of the 37 model problems and its solution leads into a detailed discussion of a concept or algorithm. Each concept then is expanded or extended, using as many as 13 wide-ranging problems. Topics include: assorted number patterns; factors and multiples; tests of divisibility; fractions; geometry and measurement; algebraic problems done without algebra; cryptarithms; logic; and Venn diagrams. Part D : Solutions to Parts A and B Part E : Solutions to Part C Part F : Appendices including Basic Information, Angle-Measures in Polygons, Pythagorean Theorem, Working with Exponents, Divisibility Rules, Sequences and Series Part G : Index Creative Problem Solving in School Mathematics is a problem solving handbook for teachers of mathematics, parents, students, and other interested people. Although it was written primarily for primary and middle schools, part of the material in the book is also appropriate at the secondary level. The basic text consists of three parts. Part A is a brief discussion of teaching techniques that have been found to be especially effective in the introduction of problem solving strategies. Part B highlights some strategies that are commonly used in school mathematics and provides some practice problems for each strategy. In Part C, problem solving is examined in relation to many standard topics of the school mathematics curriculum, and the discussion of each topic is followed by a comprehensive set of related practice problems. At the end of the book, six appendices provide additional material that supplement the topics in Part C. An index is also included. This particular edition is a revised and expanded version of the original text with modifications specific to Australian education