Homework for Grownups: Everything You Learned At School and Promptly Forgot by E. Foley & B. Coates

Stars: *****

Harper Collins Canada (2010)
Canadian Edition
Nonfiction
432 pages

Summary: Homework for Grown-ups is a brilliantly informative and entertaining book of old-school knowledge for adults. It is the ultimate refresher course on mathematics (remember Pythagoras' theorem? You will!), English grammar and literature (do you know your Margarets?), and chemistry and the sciences (including the big bang theory). It spans geography (can you name the planets in order?), history (what exactly was the Family Compact?), art, Latin, phys. ed. (hockey!), home economics and much more... including, crucially, recess (finally, definitive rules for Red Rover!).

I LOVED school. Well I loved the education part, not the social part. I love learning and I love knowing a little about a lot of things. It bugs me that I've forgotten knowledge I learned in school. I love watching Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? but it makes me mad that I can't remember it all, or at least the subjects I enjoyed. So this is the PERFECT book for me.

In this book, the following subjects are covered: English, Mathematics, Home Economics, History, Science, Religious Education, Geography, Classics, Physical Education and Art (plus a Recess!) For each subject there is a section covering some of the basics you would have learned in school. Important terms, dates or names are in bold. At the end of each section is a quiz (answers are at the back) if you really want to feel like you are in school. I didn't really take the quizzes. I looked over them and answered the ones I could quickly but didn't write anything down, score myself or look up answers.

I really enjoyed reading the subjects I enjoyed and was good at but found myself struggling with the ones I didn't care as much about. I guess I only care about remembering what I learned in school in certain subjects. This is NOT a book you read in one day. It took me a few months to get through this book because I read a bunch of other books as well. For the last few chapters I kept the book in the bathroom as a little knowledge pick me up when I get a break. (If you're a parent you know what I mean!)

Links of Interest: NONE

Other Reviews: NONE YET

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Draw Plus Math: Enhance Math Learning Through Art Activities by Freddie Levin

Stars: *****

Peel Productions 2010
For ages 6 and up
978-0-939217-90-8


Summary: Your child can learn math skills while having fun drawing.

My eldest child is not quite five but she loves math and drawing so she had fun going through this book with me.

Each lesson has a colour drawing and either a bunch of questions to figure out or some new information to impart. It suggests writing your answers down but we just figured them out together since my children are younger and I wanted it to be less like school work.  Then it shows you how to draw it for yourself and then answer some questions about the one you made.

I can see this book will get more use in the coming few years as my girls are better at following drawing directions. They've been opening the book on their own and attempting to follow the drawings. Even my 3 year old tries it. 

Concepts covered: numbers, counting, adding, subtracting, relative amount, sets or groups, one to one correspondence, shapes, symmetry, patterns, sorting, relative position, sequence, fractions, data analysis and graphs.

Look for Draw Plus Science and Draw Plus More Math in 2011!


Links of Interest: Draw Books by Peel Productions, Article by author about book, Freddie Levin,

Other Reviews: NONE YET


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