Computational Arithmetic by Charlene Pappin; Progress Tests for Computational Arithmeticby Charlene PappinReview by: Albert P. ShulteThe Arithmetic Teacher, Vol. 20, No. 3 (MARCH 1973), p. 234Published by: National Council of Teachers of MathematicsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41188237 .

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New books for pupils Edited by Géraldine Green, Royal Oak Public Schools, Royal

Oak, Michigan

Code Used in Reviews of Books for Pupils

P- text for primary grades T- teacher reference or guide M- text for middle grades L- library book J- text for junior high S- supplementary material for pupils

Computers and Young Children. Nuffield Foun- dation. Somerset, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 1972. Pp. 63. T How and what to teach children about com-

puters is the subject of this latest Weaving Guide produced by the Nuffield Mathematics Project. The main parts of this book consist of information about preparing flow charts and samples of simple flow charts produced by chil- dren; suggestions for a classroom activity in which the children act as human computers; in- formation about using and preparing punched cards to present the program to the computer; and the description of classes actually working with a computer. The elementary classroom teacher will gain much information about com- puters from reading this text. She also will find many practical suggestions for teaching chil- dren about computers. The authors claim that some of the work can be taught at the lower end of the British primary school, and that some of the work is appropriate for the top end of the primary school and the first years of the second- ary school. In this reviewer's opinion, the con- tent is more suitable for the later elementary grades and early junior high. - G.G.

Computational Arithmetic. Charlene Pappin. Beverly Hills, Calif.: Glencoe Press, 1972. Pp. 338, $7.40. M, J, S

Progress Tests for Computational Arithmetic. Charlene Pappin. Beverly Hills, Calif.: Glen- coe Press, 1972. Pp. 98, $6.80. M, J, S This is a well-designed, potentially highly use-

ful programmed text covering the standard topics in arithmetic - operations with natural numbers, fractions, and decimals. In addition, the book covers ratio, proportion and percentage, the arithmetic of measurement (denominate num- bers), approximating square roots (both by iteration and the conventional algorithm), writ- ing and solving simple sentences, and word prob- lems. Special features include: careful statements of objectives before each chapter; a comprehen-

234 The Arithmetic Teacher

sive set of tests, including pretests, chapter tests, and cumulative tests for several chapters; a red acetate "mask" which, when placed on the an- swer column, makes the answers visible.

Writing is careful and concise. Explanations are clear. Nonstandard topics that are included are: digital roots (the equivalent of casting out nines); Russian peasant multiplication; and lat- tice multiplication. Exponents and scientific nota- tion are introduced fairly early and used in de- veloping procedures with decimals. Chapter 11, "Word Problems," may prove to be rather tough going for a remedial student - the problems are typical first-year algebra problems. The division symbol chosen for use on the tests could be con- fused with the square root symbol - pages 12, 14, 28, 30, and 55 of the test booklet.

Well worth consideration as remedial material for students with computational problems. May be reused indefinitely if students are counseled not to write in the text. - Albert P. Shulte, Oak- land Schools, Pontiac, Michigan

The Rauen Math Dictionary: A Guide to Doing Basic Math Operations. James J. Rauen. San Rafael, Calif.: Academic Therapy Publica-

tions, 1972. Pp. 64. S For this reviewer, who has been trained to

teach elementary school mathematics meaning- fully and who accepts the modern mathematics program as a way to teach mathematics with understanding, it is hard to believe that this book has a 1972 copyright. It is the type that was written in Colonial America - rules for com- putation are presented with no attempt to ra- tionalize them. In this "show and tell" book, the emphasis is on how rather than why. Steps are given for each algorithm for addition, sub- traction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. For example, page 15 tells how to "carry in addition." With an example are found these steps: "(1) Add the numbers in the column on the right side of the problem. (2) If the answer in step 1 is 10 or

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