Basic Decimals

BASIC DECIMALS

This book presents an easy-to-read format for the student who has difficulty with conventional math texts. There are graphic models, a step-by-step instructional format, both guided and unguided practice exercises – and an emphasis on world problems throughout.

The focus here is on hidden problems students typically have with decimals:

• Misplacing the decimal point
• Omitting zeros when adding and subtracting
• Subtracting from a whole number

Students use the four operations with decimals, plus rounding decimals and making estimates – important topics in the current curricula and on tests.

Jerry Kaplan is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics Education at Seton Hall University. Previously, he taught at Teachers College, Columbia University, and the University of Tel Aviv, Israel.He is the author of mathematics books for SRA, Random House, Harcourt Brace, Triumph Learning, and School Specialty. Jerry has long advocated for combining basic skills along with challenging problems as integral parts of good math instruction.Jerry led many workshops, seminars, and classes on how to combine problem solving with a focus on basic skills. He established the 4 to 1 system: over a period (month, semester, year), invest 4 times more time in basic skills than in problem solving.His math books break down skills into small and simple steps that are easy to read. Several beneficiaries of his work in these areas were the US Government Job Corps Program, the Ford Foundation, Educational Testing Service, and the Ministry of Education, Israel.