One of the reasons we homeschool is that we want our children to be able to think for themselves, to be able to problem-solve to find a solution. That's why we love when we get to review for The Critical Thinking Co. We want to develop those critical thinking skills in our children to prepare them for life, not simply teach them facts from a book and how to pass a test. We strive to give our kids the tools necessary to make clear, reasoned judgments by teaching them to identify and evaluate evidence to guide their decision making through life.
The Critical Thinking Co. is "committed to developing students' critical thinking skills for better grades, higher test scores, and success in life." They offer many books and curricula to prepare students, not by teaching through drill and memorization, but instead by teaching in a way that empowers the mind. In the past, we've used a variety of their products from a critical thinking detective book to a phonics program to an analogies software. This time, I chose Pattern Explorer Beginning to focus on math proficiency.
My 9-year-old is a math whiz. When he was younger, he would amaze us by completing complicated math equations in his head and would often solve math problems just for fun. Whereas his two older siblings cringe at the thought of extra math work, he gets excited. I knew this book would be perfect for him.
Mathematics is full of patterns, so it's only natural to strengthen those pattern-finding abilities to hone math skills. If a student can train his mind to find patterns in numbers, shapes, sequences, images, and the like, he will be better prepared for complex math concepts and operations. The Pattern Explorer Beginning book is designed to help students transition from concrete to abstract thinking by signaling the brain to recognize patterns. The book has 88 pages and 40 individual exercises. There are 5 different types of drills which, of course, follow a repeating pattern through the book:
Each exercise is independent of the others and increases in difficulty as the book progresses. Though the same 5 types of drills are repeated 8 times, the variety of the activities keeps the book intriguing. There are equations, tables, shapes, numbers, and pattern pictures. The questions encourage math concepts that involve more than just patterns; they review liquid and space measurements, time, operations, and more. There are simple instructions on each page and space for figuring out the answers.
My little guy has been completing an exercise 3-4 days a week, which means we're just about at the halfway point in the book. Because we received the digital version of the book, I printed out the pages and keep them with our other schoolwork. The Pattern Predictor drills fill two pages because of the extra space required to draw out the stages, but the other types fit on a single page each. My boy will work on the day's drill on his own and usually complete it without any help from me. At that point, I will check his work either by solving the patterns myself (because he can't have all the fun!) or by comparing it to the solutions in the back of the book.
My 9-year-old is a math whiz. When he was younger, he would amaze us by completing complicated math equations in his head and would often solve math problems just for fun. Whereas his two older siblings cringe at the thought of extra math work, he gets excited. I knew this book would be perfect for him.
Mathematics is full of patterns, so it's only natural to strengthen those pattern-finding abilities to hone math skills. If a student can train his mind to find patterns in numbers, shapes, sequences, images, and the like, he will be better prepared for complex math concepts and operations. The Pattern Explorer Beginning book is designed to help students transition from concrete to abstract thinking by signaling the brain to recognize patterns. The book has 88 pages and 40 individual exercises. There are 5 different types of drills which, of course, follow a repeating pattern through the book:
- Pattern Predictor
- Equality Explorer
- Sequence Sleuth
- Number Ninja
- Function Finder
There is also a hints section in the back of the book. Though I haven't needed to reference it myself the few times he's needed a tiny bit of help in understanding the patterns, it would be very beneficial for parents or even students themselves who need guidance in solving the activities. The short hints give just enough information for the student to be steered in the right direction and figure the rest out himself. I appreciate that the hints are completely separated from the answer pages so that one does not accidentally see the solution while looking for a hint.
This is what my 9-year-old told me about this book:
Pattern Explorer Beginning has been a huge hit with my third grader. He is doing so well at understanding the patterns and solving them. Some of the drills are a piece of cake to him, while others require him to think a little more. I love that he's being challenged and that he's having fun in the process. There are additional books in this series identical in format to this one but geared toward grades 5-7 and 7-9. I'm interested to see how well he would do with the next book after he finishes this one.
If you're interested in strengthening critical thinking skills in your children, I highly suggest taking advantage of coupon code TOSCREW19 which gives you free shipping plus 15% off any size order and expires 12/31/19.
To get an idea of all that they have to offer, you can sign up to receive free critical thinking puzzles delivered to your inbox by signing up on their site. My kids enjoy these weekly puzzles. Since you can choose which grade level(s) you receive, my kids each get a fun learning activity designed specifically for their age.
The Critical Thinking Co. provides not only engaging and thought-provoking materials, but ones that are interesting and enjoyable, as well.
You can connect with The Critical Thinking Co. on the following social media sites:
The Critical Thinking Co. offers so much more than math products. Some of my Crewmates reviewed things such as a book filled with tips and techniques to improve writing skills, a detective book to evaluate evidence and strengthen vocabulary skills, a book to prepare students for vocabulary in the SAT, and more.
You can read those reviews on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.
"I really like it! My favorite kind is the Pattern Predictor. I like
drawing out the stages to see what comes next."
Pattern Explorer Beginning has been a huge hit with my third grader. He is doing so well at understanding the patterns and solving them. Some of the drills are a piece of cake to him, while others require him to think a little more. I love that he's being challenged and that he's having fun in the process. There are additional books in this series identical in format to this one but geared toward grades 5-7 and 7-9. I'm interested to see how well he would do with the next book after he finishes this one.
If you're interested in strengthening critical thinking skills in your children, I highly suggest taking advantage of coupon code TOSCREW19 which gives you free shipping plus 15% off any size order and expires 12/31/19.
To get an idea of all that they have to offer, you can sign up to receive free critical thinking puzzles delivered to your inbox by signing up on their site. My kids enjoy these weekly puzzles. Since you can choose which grade level(s) you receive, my kids each get a fun learning activity designed specifically for their age.
The Critical Thinking Co. provides not only engaging and thought-provoking materials, but ones that are interesting and enjoyable, as well.
You can connect with The Critical Thinking Co. on the following social media sites:
The Critical Thinking Co. offers so much more than math products. Some of my Crewmates reviewed things such as a book filled with tips and techniques to improve writing skills, a detective book to evaluate evidence and strengthen vocabulary skills, a book to prepare students for vocabulary in the SAT, and more.
You can read those reviews on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.
This sounds like an awesome book! One that my two little ones will love using in a few years time.
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