How To Read Mathematics Textbook

Let me share with you the first paragraph of my math textbook s preface.

How to read mathematics textbook.

The flow of a math book is not like the flow of a novel. Students are taught to read quickly or skim the material. T his book is a must read for math teachers. If you do not understand a word you are supposed to keep on reading.

It might take you half an hour to read and understand just one page. It is about how mathematics should be taught. Trying to read math the same way as a novel or a history text is certain to cause you. Miikka asked me how i read a maths textbook the other day and i didn t have a better answer than badly i ve mostly tried to read textbooks linearly cover to cover and this doesn t actually work i sometimes end up understanding the material but it s usually not until long after i ve finished or given up on the book.

Here are some tips on how to learn math from your math textbook. If the example skips any steps make sure you write down each one of those skipped steps in the textbook for better understanding. You should read the sentences carefully and think about their meaning. The way you read a math textbook is different from the traditional way students are taught to read textbooks in high school or college.

Reading a mathematics text is very different from reading ordinary english. Every sentence in a math book is full of information and logically linked to the surrounding sentences. It is equally appropriate for a chemistry or physics textbook so please substitute science for math depending on your class. Trying to read math the same way as a novel or a history text is certain to cause you trouble.

Instructors of other courses want students to. This passage was written with math textbooks in mind. How to learn from a math book reading a math book is different from reading other types of books and reading a math textbook is different from the traditional way students are taught to read textbooks in general. A math book requires a different type of reading than a novel or a short story.

Step 4 when you get to the examples go through each step. Reading a math textbook is very difficult.