Art of Problem Solving

[naturalmom]

What would be an appropriate point to start using their materials? I see they have MOEMS books, which is what I am thinking of doing next. My ds is using Singapore, and just started Intensive Practice 4B. We do Challenging Word Problems a year behind (so he's going through book 3); he also does Zaccaro's Primary Challenge Math....

I am looking for a systematic approach to problem solving. I have a good guideline myself in one of Singapore's books for Elementary teachers, but I would like something that would go through the various types of problem solving. I've glanced at i-Excel from Singapore Math, but am also interested in Art of Problem Solving texts. Can anyone compare those two, or comment on either one?

I would prefer something that includes solutions rather than just answers, since I tend to get stuck on upper level (and sometimes lower level) problems.

[joannqn]

MOEMS has complete solutions in the back of the book. Some problems even have more than one solution. I will tell you, though, that as a mom who completed precalculus in high school, forgot it all, and has relearned everything through MUS Zeta (6th grade), MOEMS problems are challenging for me without the solutions. Once I see the solution, though, they are often pretty simple. That said, there are very few problems that my kids can do on their own. My daughter is not a math kids but she's strong with logic and reasoning skills. My son loves math (just started prealgebra) but isn't strong with problem solving skills. What we do is talk through them on the white board for the exposure for how to think. Many problems require order of operations, fractions, area, etc. Algebra isn't usually required but some problems have algebraic solutions as one of the possible methods of solving them. Usually these can be solved through creating a table as well. One of the neat things about the book is that there is a table in the back listing most of the problems by type...currently we are focusing on all of the area problems, for example.

The Art of Problem Solving books all look to require at least prealgebra knowledge, with the exception of the contest problem books and the kitchen math book. Because my son is so young, they suggested I put him through a regular algebra course before using their Introduction to Algebra.

[mominsac]

... One of the neat things about the book is that there is a table in the back listing most of the problems by type...currently we are focusing on all of the area problems, for example...

Thanks Joannqn, for pointing out the List in the back. I hadn't noticed that, and that will be very useful.

Naturalmom, just to share my experience, since I'm doing something very similar with my DDs for problem-solving etc.

My one DD is studying 5th grade math at school, but does Singapore CWP (finishing up 4th) at home. Was doing IP 4th up until few months ago, but we put a hold on that to focus on CWP problem-solving now, since IP was more for solidification. I really like Singapore. She did do about a 1/3 of Zaccarro's Primary Math a year ago...I'm thinking of having her go back and selectively pick out few problems per chapter so that she can move onto Zaccarros' Problem Solving for Elem/Middle School. We also have the MOEMs, which I got originally got for my older DD whose class is doing Math Olympiad. My younger DD picked up the MOEMs and did a page or so for fun...I tried to get her to be little more "systematic" and go through the first few pages of "strategies", but she was rather impatient, dove right in, wanted to be timed and everything. She struggled through it but got it done "her way". I have not encouraged her to go back, just because, I would like to take her through it little more systematically, and I feel there may be other things like the CWP and Zaccarros' to also do before starting in on MOEMs in earnest (I will try Joannqn's method). So, my point being, if you start with Olympiad #1 and go through the book, since in any given page, several different concepts and strategies are covered, it is not necessarily pedagogical developmentally, and may get very confusing and overwhelming to do as a student or to even teach as the parent. This is unlike Singapore CWP, where you are presented concept by concept, building on strategies learned, little by little..

That has been my experience with it so far. Since my goal is also to teach systematic problem solving, I plan to be "armed" and be better organized beforehand when my DDs do do the MOEMS, because otherwise, I'm afraid we'll flounder our way through!