Algebra1 Concepts (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780692837719)

Vaishali Sudhakar has a Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston. Her undergraduate education in Chemical Technology is from the Osmania University College of Technology, Hyderabad, India. She has been teaching math for over 15 years and has taught several math courses at colleges in the Houston Area. She has also worked as a private math tutor for several students. This course and the book are a result of her years of experience tutoring students. She firmly believes that an organized step-by-step methodology to learning Algebra I will be very valuable for both middle and high school students. "Many students think Math is difficult and that's because they have the fear of missing some information. Uncertainty in math creates fear. Organization of all the information is one important tool in learning math. Giving students all the concepts listed in one place in an orderly manner gives them a comprehensive guide to study at their own pace, and build their confidence of knowing all the rules. The best way to learn math is practice math. Writing concepts in a book and working many practice problems is the only way to master math. This book lists all the topics in an order such that there is no uncertainty. Let's simplify the learning process. There are different methods by which students learn but the common bottom line is to give them the confidence and tools to believe that they can achieve it." Vaishali's advice to teachers "First make the students comfortable listing the goals of the lesson so they know what to expect. Secondly use many different pictures, charts, and shapes in explaining concepts. Most students remember when a problem solution looks different from the others due to visual aids or mnemonics used. Dedicate part of the class period for practicing what they have learnt in that class. Encourage class participation and involve the students in explaining what they have learnt. Everyone is better prepared when they have to explain to others."