Art of Problem Solving Beast Academy 3B Guide and Practice Bundle 2-Book Set

My 5-year-old son LOVES the Beast Academy comics! The problems in the practice books are still a little much for him (he is only five, after all), but he will read almost anything in comic form, and loves math, so these are a no-brainer. We got him this one for Christmas, and last night he was asking to make a multiplication table (one of the activities the monsters do in the book).The slight down side, for me, is that the comics are really just the monsters telling you all these math facts and tricks, often with no meaningful context. There are plots, but the plot is only sometimes directly relevant to the math skill - for example, the professor might get kidnapped and they have to solve some totally-unrelated problem to get him back. As an educational designer, I'd rather see the skills more embedded in relevant contexts. Don't get me wrong, sometimes they are! I especially like in the 3A book, when Venn diagrams are introduced as a way of categorizing shapes. The lesson is ostensibly about the shapes, but the child learns about logic (all As are Bs, but not all Bs are As) and Venn diagrams because they're useful in that context. I'd like to see more of that.

We ordered these books for trial, and they are very good. The guide teaches the importance and value of multiplication and associated concepts through some very entertaining cartoons. The exercises go from simple to quite difficult, and can really develop and solidify the learning of the child. At the same time, they mark the really difficult ones out so the child doesn't feel bad if they can't do it. Overall - fabulous, very engaging way to teach math. Our daughter (3rd grade) read through the guide on the first day, and has re-read it several times. We are still early in the practice book but it looks really good so far. Awesome math books to both solidify concepts, and then enrich understanding and practice. We will order more in the series once we are through with this set. Update : Halfway through the practice book - the problems are really fun, and also challenging. I think the books are good for gifted kids or kids who really like math. Better than singapore math for gifted kids. We found them very useful to provide additional learning and practice over and above school, while staying on the topics that are being covered in school.

This is so fun.

I have been searching for a math curriculum for 5 years. As a former math teacher and math major in college, now homeschooling, I have been disappointed again and again by so many books. I had resorted to using my grandmother's old math competition worksheets because they were challenging and fun. All that to say, this is the best thing I have been able to find.However, don't go by the grade 3 that it claims to be. I am currently using grade 3 to teach my third grader and also my fifth grader, who had done Singapore Math and was not behind at all. There are concepts in here that I taught my seventh grade pre algebra students. So I wouldn't feel like you are behind at all.....you are getting so much more than you get in a typical math curriculum. So far my kids love the textbooks with the comic book, conversational style, and monsters. I even laugh at the jokes. Even my four year old will sit on my lap while I read this because he likes the pictures.I'm sure this series is not perfect, but so far it's the best out of six others that I have tried.

I purchased this after reading about it in an article online. My bookworm son generally enjoys school, but does not love math - Until the textbook was written like a graphic novel... Brilliant! This has truly revolutionized our homeschool math experience. The concepts are well-explained and engaging which has totally opened up the world of math to my previously number reluctant child. He loves the characters and has no problem understanding the ideas. What was previously a chore, he now looks forward to and enjoys. He seriously reads the textbook for fun and has asked me to purchase the other books so he can read them. What??? A kid WANTS to read a math book? Amazing! There isn't the boring repetition that you traditionally see in math books, but the concepts are explained and reworked in different ways to make sure the student understands the root of the concept and can build on it. It's not just about memorization, it's about "getting it", which I love. We will definitely be using this in the years to come.