Jamie York Press

by Jamie York

This book is both a curriculum guide for middle school math and a source book for great ideas that enrich any teacher’s math lessons.

Included in this Source Book for Middle School Math:

• • A math curriculum guideline for grades 6-8.
  • An essential resource for use with our grades 6-8 workbooks.
  • Contains explanations of all concepts found in the workbooks.
  • Ideas for all of the Waldorf math “main lessons” in grades 6-8.
  • Includes an 11-page Introduction for the Teacher.

Who can use this book?  Most of the author’s teaching experience is within the Waldorf school system.  Yet this source book can be effectively used by any teacher or homeschooling parent who wishes to teach meaningful, age-appropriate math.  The explanations in this book are also useful for parents (or tutors) who are helping their children in a math class that uses the curriculum laid out in this book.

Why this curriculum?  When I started teaching at a Waldorf school, I was surprised to find that there were no textbooks.  I was expected to create my own materials.  This newfound freedom was both exciting and daunting.  I proceeded to research what was happening at other Waldorf schools regarding math curriculum.  I spent a great deal of time creating my own worksheets.  My original question (“What should I teach?”) was soon transformed into, “What topics would best help in developing the thinking and imagination of my middle school students?”

This book is intended to share with others what I have discovered and developed during this journey.

While most of the material is not overly difficult, much of it is foreign, even for math majors.  In writing this book, I have assumed that the reader may be weak in math.  I hope that with some effort, even the most difficult topic is understandable.

A teacher’s guide for middle school math, including:

The challenge of teaching math today
Practical advice and thoughts on teaching math
How can we ensure that our students are prepared for high school and beyond?

6th Grade topics:   Fractions   •   decimals   •   percents   •   mental math and math tricks
divisibility   •   casting out nines   •   exponents and roots   •   prime factorization
converting repeating decimals to fractions   •   and more.

7th Grade topics:  The metric system   •   percents   •   rates   •   ratios   •   irrational numbers   •   the square root algorithm   •   basic geometry   •   and more.

8th Grade topics:  Pythagorean Theorem, exponential growth, proportions, area and volume, dimensional analysis (unit conversions), basic algebra skills, and more.

Detailed explanations of main lessons and less well-known topics, including:

Business math   •   The golden ratio   •   Number bases
Exchange rates   •   The Fibonacci sequence   •   Binary and ASCII code
Mental math & math tricks   •   Gauss’s summation formula   •   Computer algorithms
Converting repeating decimals   •   Angle theorems & proofs   •   Archimedes’ ratio
Geometric drawing   •   The four ratios of π   •   Platonic solids
Euclidean constructions   •   The square root algorithm
…and much more!

You should also consider signing up for…
Our Grade-Specific Online Workshop: The Art of Teaching 6^th Grade Math
Our Grade-Specific Online Workshop: The Art of Teaching 7^th Grade Math
Our Grade-Specific Online Workshop: The Art of Teaching 8^th Grade Math

Teachers’ Reviews of: A Source Book for Teaching Middle School Math:

I’ve been teaching many grade levels K-8 over the last ten years in mainstream education (five in Waldorf education) and have had my hands on many math curricula that were adequate in teaching the basic concepts in the different mathematical strands. But I always found that the programs were lacking in creating lasting understanding, enthusiasm and confidence with numbers.  I began working with Making Math Meaningful in my fifth grade classroom at Madrone Trail Public Waldorf school in Oregon, and my students and I became so interested in what they might find out about how numbers worked!  This carried into the junior high years, where many student who don’t have a natural affinity for numbers often become discouraged and uninterested in math. Through daily practice with the Making Math Meaningful’s workbooks, my students developed an amazing fluency and knack for the nature of numbers.  !00% of the my students have met their math benchmarks for our state in 6th and 7th grade. This is only one measure of the efficacy of a math program. Through using this curriculum, my students are more creative in their problem solving and critical thinking, have cultivated good work habits and have come to find that each of them are able to learn the magic of mathematics. Most importantly perhaps, all of my students, regardless of ability, have come face to face with math problems that have challenged them to work and rework until a solution is found, and it is this skill that has helped prepare a group of 8th graders who will begin high school with a strong knowledge of self. They have developed a set of characteristics that will help them push forward when they’re in doubt and start working through an issue that seems to have no solution in sight.  Jamie York has managed to prepare a math curriculum that supports the development of the whole child.  It can be used by main stream public educators as well as in the Waldorf middle school math classroom, and it has become the must-have element of our school’s very successful math program.
— Alyssum Barber, Madrone Trail Waldorf Charter School, OR, USA

I am just completing my third Waldorf class teaching cycle and have used the Making Math Meaningful curriculum guides and workbooks for this cycle. My present eighth graders have mathematical thinking skills and basic arithmetic skills that surpass my former two classes. The grades six, seven, eight workbooks are challenging for me as a class teacher and definitely for my students, but it is a delight to experience the students’ enthusiasm when they “get it” with a new concept or remember a solution method from a previous year. I taught using more main stream math textbooks in my previous classes and, while my students went on to be solid high school and college math students, they did not show the level of creative and confident mathematical problem solving that my present class has. As an experienced Waldorf math teacher, Jamie York shows a deep understanding of when and how to introduce age-appropriate material and leads the teacher through the introduction of the pedagogical basis of each theme. He avoids the possible over-emphasis on teaching students math procedural skills and encourages teaching slowly and thoroughly so that students deeply absorb the material. And by helping a math or class teacher show how math is a fascinating, creative, yet quite achievable endeavor, Mr. York has helped me develop students who are on the path to becoming imaginative, analytical thinkers in high school.
— Nancy Pierce, Portland, OR, USA

I’m a 6th Grade Teacher and my students worked with your workbook this year, and I took many inspirations from your Middle School Curriculum Guide. I just wanted to let you know what a fabulous, positive experience it was. I think I found myself in that “difficult middle school spot” that teachers can get into. Parents wonder if what the class teacher offers is “enough” and how they will ever “learn” to use worksheets and such. My students have always been enthusiastic mathematicians. They loved working with the book, which we completed and are reviewing now during the past few weeks of school. I’m looking forward to using your workbooks for 7th grade as well.
— Claudia Thomas, Richmond, VA, USA

Softcover, 192 pages.  11 x 8.5".

Published by Jamie York Press.

Printed in the United States.

by Jamie York, Mich Follari, and Randy Evans

An inspirational and easy-to-use resource book for teachers of Grades 4-12 who want to add interest and engagement to maths lessons. 

Are you looking for a new math challenge for your students?

Do you need a resource of ideas that will give your students the opportunity to experience the thrill of mathematics?

And, what about providing a good puzzle or game that will give everyone the understanding of true problem-solving?

Randy Evans, Mick Follari and Jamie York have combined their knowledge and skills to create a puzzle and game book that is a perfect reference for the math classroom and for middle school and high school teachers everywhere.

The Purpose of This Book

This book is intended as a resource for math teachers in grades four through twelve, in part, to supplement the normal classroom material, such as Our Making Math Meaningful^™ middle school and high school workbooks.

There may be times when things seem to get dull and the students begin to lose their spark.  It is then that the teacher knows it is time to do something different.  This book provides ideas for that “something different.”

What Makes This Book Unique?

There are many math puzzle books available today.  However, it can be daunting for a teacher (especially a teacher in the lower grades for whom math is not a specialty) to pick up a math puzzle book that consists of a couple hundred puzzles, and find a good one that would work well for tomorrow’s math class.

This book is specifically geared toward the teacher who needs to find an excellent puzzle or game for tomorrow’s math class.  We have tried to limit the number of puzzles and games to just a few excellent ones.  We have categorized the puzzles according to grade level.

More about this book:

• It is intended that all puzzles listed under the middle school years ought to be solved without the use of algebra. Several of the high school puzzles use some algebra.
• Any puzzle may also be used for grades older than what it is listed for.
• Solutions to every puzzle appears at the end of the book.
• The intention in this book is to have just a few excellent games for the teacher to choose from.
• Math Magic Tricks. These great attention-grabbers help to develop a sense of wonder for numbers. They are especially effective in grades 5-7, but can also be used in the higher grades as an interesting algebra exercise to show why a given math magic trick works.
• Classroom Activities. This is a modest collection of activities that could possibly turn out to be the highlight of the year for a math class.

READ THE REVIEW IN WALDORF TODAY! by clicking HERE.

Barb, a parent, writes: If you want to make math interesting to students (they say 4th through high school, it is a great resource for anyone wanting to make math more interesting).
This book has (all segmented by grade) puzzles, games, math magic tricks, classroom activities (and of course solutions for the over 200 puzzles, games etc.
Why this book? The authors have collected very good puzzles for each grade, with the intent to provide students with the experience of a mathematical thrill, NOT just memorizing rote procedures.

Want to bring your math classes alive? sprinkle in some of these teasers… Having watched how author Jamie York creates stories and challenges for his students, it makes me wish I had teachers as interesting and engaging as this.
Bust the myths of “math is hard” and “Math is not interesting” with the puzzles in this book!!

Jamie York math is suited to Waldorf education but is known for being rigorous, and is used by homeschoolers and classroom teachers across curricula and pedagogy.

Softcover, 174 pages. 

5.5 x 8.5"

3rd Edition Published by Jamie York Press.

Printed in the Unites States.

by Jamie York

This student workbook contains a year’s worth of practice problems, exercises, and mathematical adventures for 6th grade.

View sample pages from this book in PDF Format.

Do you need an Answer Key or worked-out Solutions to Selected Problems?
Then you should purchase the Teacher’s Edition of the 6th Grade Workbook.

Is this for a teacher or parent?  Then you should also purchase A Source Book for Teaching Middle School Math (by Jamie York).  This is an essential resource for use with our workbooks.

Softcover, 59 pages.  8.5 x 11 inches.

Printed in the United States.

by Jamie York

This Teacher’s Edition of the workbook contains a year’s worth of practice problems, exercises, and mathematical adventures for 6th grade, including:

THIS TEACHER’S EDITION CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING:

• The 6th Grade Student’s Workbook
• Answer Key
• Selected Worked-Out Solutions
• “To The Teacher” – a section offering advice for teaching 6th grade math

View sample pages from this book in PDF Format.

You should also purchase A Source Book for Teaching Middle School Math
(by Jamie York).  This is an essential resource for teachers using our workbooks.

Softcover, 81 pages.  8.5 x 11 inches.

Printed in the United States.

by Jamie York

This Teacher’s Edition of the workbook contains a year’s worth of practice problems, exercises, and mathematical adventures for 7th grade, including:

The 7th Grade Student’s Workbook
Answer Key
Selected Worked-Out Solutions
“To The Teacher” – a section offering advice for teaching 7th grade math

View sample pages from this book in PDF Format.

You should also purchase A Source Book for Teaching Middle School Math
(by Jamie York).  This is an essential resource for teachers using our workbooks.

Softcover, 142 pages.  8.5 x 11 inches.

Printed in the United States.

by Jamie York

This student workbook contains a year’s worth of practice problems, exercises, and mathematical adventures for 8th grade.

View sample pages from this book in PDF Format.

Do you need an Answer Key or worked-out Solutions to Selected Problems?
Then you should purchase the Teacher’s Edition of the 8th Grade Workbook.

Is this for a teacher or parent?  Then you should also purchase A Source Book for Teaching Middle School Math (by Jamie York).  This is an essential resource for use with our workbooks.

Softcover, 68 pages.  8.5 x 11 inches.

Printed in the United States.

by Jamie York

This Teacher’s Edition of the workbook contains a year’s worth of practice problems, exercises, and mathematical adventures for 8th grade, including:

The 8th Grade Student’s Workbook
Answer Key
Selected Worked-Out Solutions
“To The Teacher” – a section offering advice for teaching 8th grade math

View sample pages from this book in PDF Format.

You should also purchase A Source Book for Teaching Middle School Math
(by Jamie York).  This is an essential resource for teachers using our workbooks.

Softcover, 103 pages.

8.5 x 11 inches.

Printed in the United States.