Betcha!: Estimating (MathStart 3 Series)

by Stuart J. Murphy, S. D. Schindler (Illustrator)

Overview

“Kids, young and old, fall in love with math when they see how real-life and effortless it becomes thanks to these books.” —Kimberly D. Mueller, Ed.D., First Grade Teacher, Ashbrook School, Lumberton NJ

Betcha! is perfect for teaching estimating to second, third, and fourth graders. What do cars, toys, people, and jelly beans have in common? They can all be estimated. Two friends try out their estimating skills and find out that estimating can have real rewards––especially when there’s a contest to enter!

Kids will love the story and the illustrations by S.D. Schindler. Parents and educators will love how the story and pictures make understanding the math concepts a breeze—as well as the concrete examples of how math works. The book contains activities for adults to do with kids to extend math into their own lives. 

Math skills are life skills, and the MathStart series supports success!

• This award-winning series by Stuart J. Murphy teaches math through stories and visual models
• 63 books divided into three levels with 21 books in each
• Fun activities kids will love are included to help parents and teachers emphasize the lessons
• Engaging and relatable stories, with each story revolving around practical applications of the math concept presented
• Lively art from top-notch illustrators
• Charts and other visual representations help children understand how the math works and promote deeper comprehension

MathStart's unique combination of stories, illustrations, and visual models helps teachers and parents in the teaching of math and provides all children with the opportunity to succeed.

The math concepts taught in MathStart books conform to state and national standards. Level 1 is Pre-K–Kindergarten; Level 2 is Grades 1–3; Level 3 is Grades 2–4. The series follows math topics across grades so there is a foundational path to learning that runs through the levels.

Help kids with their math skills plus their reading skills with the engaging and fun MathStart series!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780064467070
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/01/1997
Series:	MathStart 3 Series
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	406,039
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.08(d)
Lexile:	440L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Stuart J. Murphy is a visual learning specialist. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has a strong background in design and art direction. He also has extensive experience in the world of educational publishing. Drawing on all these talents, Stuart J. Murphy brings a unique perspective to the MathStart series. In MathStart books, pictures do more than tell stories; they teach math.

Stuart J. Murphy and his wife, Nancy, live in Boston.

S. D. Schindler is the popular illustrator of many bestselling picture books, including How Santa Got His Job, Big Pumpkin, the Math Start title Betcha!, and the 2005 Newbery Honor Book Whittington. S. D. Schindler lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 3-4On their way to a store sponsoring a contest that involves guessing the number of jellybeans in a jar, two friends encounter situations that involve numerical determinations; e.g., how many people are on the bus, the number of cars in a traffic jam. One boy counts one by one to obtain the answers, whereas the other one uses simple techniques to come up with near estimations. The easy-to-read picture-book format with only one or two sentences per page will appeal to reluctant readers, and the boys' urban environment provides common situations to which many students will easily relate. The uncomplicated drawings show how the boy's brain is processing data and the skills he employs to arrive at an educated guess. The last two pages give suggestions and ideas for adults to help children further their understanding of the concept. A short list of similar concept books is included. This title will be especially useful for classroom use as it provides many possibilities for related activities.Stephani Hutchinson, Pioneer Elementary School, Sunnyside, WA

School Library Journal

Playing with numbers—that's what this book from Murphy (The Best Vacation Ever, 1997, etc.) is all about. Part of the MathStart series, this entry introduces the art of estimation. Two boys are engaged in the project, one estimating, the other counting. Their ultimate goal is to try to figure out how many jelly beans are in a big glass jar and win tickets to a sporting event, but the storyline bows deeply to the emphasis on estimation as a process. As the boys head downtown to the toy store and the jelly beans, they estimate the number of people on the bus, the numbers of cars in a traffic jam, the total prices of goods in a window, all the while demonstrating both rounding off and how to count a small number and apply that to the great, uncounted whole through the use of multiplication, fractions, and simple geometry. Murphy's success is in beveling the sharp, unforgiving reputation of math and in showing how numbers can be toyed with. Readers may come away with the sense that they are not slaves to numbers—it's the other way around.

Kirkus Reviews