4 Math Books for Teachers Who Need to Brush up on Their Skills

Many math teachers, particularly those in the middle-school level, find themselves without proper resources to reference during the school year. Many of these teachers would be delighted to get additional training in math and a review of the topics they want to teach without having to pay a lot of money.

These four books can help teachers review math concepts and compile teaching methods for math classes at all levels.

Publishers, in order: Routledge, Corwin, Sefton-Ash Publishers, Cliffs Notes

‘Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics’

“Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics” by Dr. Liping Ma combines math review with creative teaching methods. This book provides examples of information teachers need to teach their math classes effectively, and shows math teachers how to become accomplished professionals in all aspects of their field.

‘101 Great Ideas for Introducing Key Concepts in Mathematics: A Resource for Secondary School Teachers’

“101 Great Ideas for Introducing Key Concepts in Mathematics” by Alfred S. Posamentier and Herbert A. Hauptman provides a comprehensive review of high school mathematics, as well as resources to help teachers improve their current teaching methods. This book focuses on the key concepts of high-school-level mathematics, including algebra, geometry, probability and trigonometry.

‘Elementary Mathematics for Teachers’

“Elementary Mathematics for Teachers” by Thomas H. Parker and Scott J. Baldridge is written based on the Singapore math curriculum, focusing on three core themes. It looks at how teachers can develop certain mathematical concepts in their classroom. It reviews easy to difficult problems that will appear in any math curriculum from the K-8 level. Finally, it explores how mathematical concepts can build on each other as children progress from grade to grade. Although this book is primarily focused on pedagogical methods as related to the Singapore math curriculum, it is ideal for teachers who need a review because it also focuses on teacher understanding of key concepts.

Cliffs Notes Math Series

The Cliffs Notes Company publishes a number of math guides, including the “QuickReview” series for basic math through calculus. They also have a Praxis test prep section that is ideal for teachers who are preparing for their state teacher exam. Teachers and aspiring teachers can use the Cliffs Notes guides on every topic from elementary-school math to statistics and trigonometry.