Mathematical Reasoning Level B Workbook - Bridging the Gap Between Computation and Math Reasoning (Grade 1) Paperback – March 30, 2012

I really love this math book. Well done, Critical Thinking Company! I originally ordered Level A (Grade K) for my kindergartner but he is VERY math oriented by nature and after flipping through it, I didn't think it would challenge him enough. I ordered Level B (Grade 1) and it has been perfect for him. By the way, I kept the Level A book for my younger child to grow into.I love how this book teaches several different approaches for each type of problem. It switches things up often enough to avoid boredom, but also spirals to reinforce learning. The pages are full color and vibrant. There are ~300 worksheets with an answer key in the back. We do 4 worksheets per day, 3 days per week. I do wish it had a lay-flat binding, but that's a minor issue.This is our primary math curriculum that we are using alongside the Classical Conversations Foundations curriculum. I had originally intended to switch to Saxon Math in a few years (around 4th grade), but I'm so happy with the Mathematical Reasoning series that I may stick with it longer. It is an EXCELLENT value for the price.One caution: This book does not provide much in the way of teacher instructions or scripted explanations of new topics, so if you're not comfortable with math basics, you might prefer a more comprehensive curriculum that includes a teacher's guide. However, if you're able to fill in the gaps, this book is absolutely "meaty" enough to serve as your complete math curriculum (not just a supplemental resource).

My daughter really enjoys this curriculum. I had initially worried it was not appropriate for a full curriculum and was only using it as a supplement but it is the only thing we have stuck with. There are a few pages of teaching instructions in the beginning of the book. Following those instructions coupled with the activities designed to build upon each other I have found works great. The curriculum has a lot of fun easy type pages with some harder still fun pages every several pages or so. Most of the content is grade level and relatively straightforward but fun and unique. The content that is more of a stretch is still fun and my daughter has never complained about this book. They don’t over do it with the algebra like many modern curriculums but there’s plenty of logic and critical thinking included. We love the mind benders especially. Probability is included in a fun age appropriate way. This book is great and we’ll be continuing with the series next year for our homeschool.I wanted to add that even if you do not homeschool, this book is so much fun it would be enjoyable to do with your child as a supplement after school to improve math skills.

This curriculum is in-depth, colorful, and fun. We use it to homeschool our 1st grader. We've used #2 (PreK) thru D (3rd grade) so far. With level B, kids need to be able to read a bit, but most 1st graders should be ok. The curriculum is one of the CathyDuffyReviews website's top 102. By 3rd grade kids can almost work through it independently. We like it. It is a spiral approach, not mastery so topics are revisited and frequently reviewed.

This book has wonderfully colorful pictures and easy to read material. My son enjoys doing his math work when we use this book!

This is an amazing math curriculum, my kids love how it throws in little games to help them review/learn as well. I started this with my son when he was 5 because 2 months into our kindergarten math book that it was not advanced not for him so we started this book. He loved it and I did not have an issue getting him to sit down and do his math work everyday with this book. This is plenty of review, and even better the review is spread throughout the whole book instead of back to back constantly reviewing the same thing. After I ordered and used this book and other grade levels for my sons, my friend ordered it for her kids as well and they loved it.

We used level A for my Kindergartener this year for homeschool and liked it. It is colorful and interesting with plenty of variety. It is supposed to be a complete curriculum, but I believe it is defined as such simply because it covers all topics in each grade level. While for K, this was alright, for this level B (first grade), I would suggest using the book as a "spine" of sorts where your child does the activities in the book but as a teacher/parent, you will need to supplement in other ways to reinforce the concepts or to simply provide more practice. The book does a pretty good job of making worksheets that require problem solving / real life application / thinking skills to solve. NOTE: while the Level A book has some "semi-concrete" mathematics (seeing illustrations of objects to assist with solving addition/subtraction concepts), this book has very little of that. Don't use this book until your child is ready to think a little more abstract about numbers (i.e. 1 + 1 = 2 rather than a picture of two horses and then adding them together by seeing the two horses). It would also be useful for a parent wanting to supplement what their child is doing in school.

I love the spiral approach of this math book. You can use it as a stand alone curriculum. My kids K-grade 4 have enjoyed these books. However, if you are looking for a book filled with “tests” this one is not. It does not tell you How to teach a concept, but at this stage math is pretty simple and straightforward.

We loved K and love this one just as much. It gradually introduces increasingly complicated concepts in a way that easily frustrated children can stomach. It's colorful, systematic and well organized. I never thought I would love spiral learning, but I am absolutely in love with it. My daughter doesn't bore of it, and there are plenty of pages on every topic. We do skip some of the easier pages, but if she needs a "break" we do them anyway so she can feel a sense of accomplishment. Feeling good about completed work is huge for my 6 year old, and this book does an amazing job of engaging her, teaching her, and helping her feel good about herself. I can't recommend it highly enough.