As a teacher, every year I hear from students, “I couldn’t finish my homework because I didn’t understand it and my parents said they didn’t know how to do it either.” Of course, I’m thinking that I explained it carefully the day before and I had the students try some sample problems before I ever expected them to do the homework on their own. So, I’d ask if they looked at their notes, and they’d tell me they lost them, or they left them in their locker, or they didn’t make sense to them that evening. I’d ask if they read the explanation in the text. They’d say that they tried, and their parents did, too, but it didn’t make sense to any of them. At that point, without useful notes, or a comprehensible explanation in the textbook, they’re stuck. I had looked for books that explained middle school math concepts simply, but was only finding algebra books and ones on higher mathematics or books that were loaded with practice problems and pre- and post-tests on one specific concept. So I wrote this book that speaks specifically to middle school math students in the hopes that with this as a reference, they could complete their homework assignment.

2. How does this book differ from their textbooks or other books that are available?

         This is not a textbook or a workbook. It has no exercises or practice problems for the student to work out. It is intended as a quick answer book for the student stuck on their homework or for the parent who’s thinking, “How do you multiply five and three-eighths by six and two-fifths again?” Or, “Honey, I have no idea how to set up a scale drawing problem as a proportion.” Unlike other books, there are no practice problems and no pre-or post-tests for skill evaluation. I believe that the successful completion of the homework assignment each day will provide the practice necessary to achieve success on the tests that are given at school and will foster a deeper understanding of the material. The premise of Takehome Teacher: Middle School Math Explained is simply to get students back on track with their understanding of math so they can complete their homework, raise their confidence level and improve their grades. It’s not fancy; it’s not filled with colorful cartoon people or anything like that. It’s just intended to be quick and easy, as I believe most adults want it – “just tell me how to do this!”

3. What skills or concepts are covered?

         It begins with decimal concepts and goes through every middle school and junior high math concept that most districts in the nation cover. Included are: fractions, integers, ratios, proportion, percents, equations, geometry terms, perimeter, circumference and area, surface area and volume, probabilities, statistics, measurements, the coordinate plane and graphing functions, and working with polynomials. It doesn’t include working with whole numbers as these are skills begun in the primary grades and by sixth grade, are really just review.

4. Which grades would benefit the most from the book?

      Sixth grade through eighth grade (pre-algebra) is the primary audience.

         Not at all. The textbook is necessary for the problems. Takehome Teacher is a supplement when you don’t feel that the textbook is offering sufficient explanations of the concepts and you’re looking for more detailed and easier-to-understand explanations. Think of it as you would a dictionary or encyclopedia – a source for clear, concise explanations of math concepts – when and where you need it.

6. Who did you have in mind as your audience when you wrote the book?

         It started out as primarily a handbook for the parent, so they could read a page and get quick answers to their questions about how to do something. I realized, though, that as busy as many parents are, I’d better make the writing easy enough for the student to read and understand, as well. That way, he could help himself. My hope, though, is that the parent will read the page that covers that night’s concept and then feel confident to look over the child’s homework and be able to know if it was done correctly.

7. Can a child/student read it and make sense of it or do they always need an adult to help them?

         I tried my hardest to write it so that anyone in middle school could read it and make sense of it, while trying not to talk down to the adult reading it. Some concepts, though, are just intrinsically easier for an adult mind to comprehend, so I hope that the parent or grandparent will read the necessary page or two and then be willing to help their student understand it. They just need to remember to be very patient. A child’s mind is not yet wired the same as an adult’s, they don’t have the same prior experiences to relate information to, and so may not make sense of everything as quickly as you’d expect. I picture parent/grandparent/guardian sitting down, spending time with the student, and learning together in a much less frustrating way than they’d previously experienced.

8. When should a parent look at utilizing Takehome Teacher: Middle School Math Explained?

         Any time they’re looking at their child’s math homework and wondering, “Is this right? I don’t quite remember how to do this.” Or, they may be discussing the math concept with the child and the student is saying, “That’s not how we were taught to do it.” And the parent is saying, “That’s how I was taught.” Now they can check the book and see if one of the ways I explain might match the way their teacher taught it.

9. What benefits are there for completing math homework?

         Simply stated, completed homework leads to increased comprehension which leads to better test scores and higher grades, which leads to improved confidence and self-esteem. We all know that the more you do something, the better you become at it, and then the more you enjoy it (or, at least, the less you dislike it). Just like with sports, music, or anything you try to learn, the more you do it, the better you get. The old adage is true – practice makes perfect. I just hope to make the practice a little easier.

10. Why does middle school math seem to be the place where students often have the most problems?

         While a lot of it is attitude, we all know about the hormonal thing going on, there also may be a holdover of frustrations from earlier grades when, perhaps, the student didn’t learn their multiplication facts well, and that bogs her down. Or, she still doesn’t understand the concept of place values. It’s like trying to continue to build a complex structure on a weak foundation. Also, at this age, school often isn’t the priority, they’re still into playing video games, wanting to go ride their bikes, talk on the phone, etc. Once they are in high school, and students begin to see further into the future, if they didn’t strengthen their math skills in middle school, high school can be very challenging and a bright future may seem far out of reach. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the more confident students, the ones with the better grades, are the ones who are staying in school, graduating and moving on to rewarding careers.