Review of Connecting Arithmetic to Algebra by Russell, Schifter, and Bastable
For some time there has been an effort to improve American students' math performance and knowledge by pushing the teaching of algebra into the lower grade levels. Typically this has resulted in traditional algebra instruction and courses being taught in 8th or even 7th grades. This approach has met with little or no success. I would argue that it is in fact counter-productive. The only way to improve algebra achievement in a formal algebra course is to lay the foundations of algebraic thinking and notation in students' earlier school years. This book gives teachers practical and easily implemented strategies for doing that. It is clearly written and filled with case studies from classrooms that describe teacher-student interactions in detail. Any teacher of mathematics in elementary or middle school would do well to read the book and begin implementing the approaches described here. This would make a great book for a study group of teachers seeking to expand and improve their knowledge and teaching of mathematics.