M6A3

How to read a math textbook

Credibility:
a. According to Cynthia Arem, Ph.D., of the Pima Community College, reading a math book is different from reading other types of books. When reading a math textbook, she recommends reading it through slowly, understanding all the information thoroughly, to not skip diagrams and pictures, and even to write as you read. Of the things you'll write are working out sample problems, making notes, recalling keywords, mark formulas and cautionary notes, and mark questions you haven't been able to find an answer to. After that, she recommends recording key points, making flash cards, to test yourself, memorize the information and repeat them aloud, and after reading and understanding an example, try to incorporate your own problem akin to the one you just solved. Final notes by Professor Arem include to read another math textbook for extended information, read the chapter every chance you have, and to read her web pages for math study skills and test-taking skills.

b. According to the Great Basin College of Nevada, for reading a math textbook, they recommend reading every single word, take your time reading, do not speed read, understand each sentence before moving on, look up a word if you don't understand it, and reread if you don't understand something. When looking at equations and numerical expressions, they recommend reading any explanations by the author, know what's going on in one step of the process, create examples as you read through, try to work out each problem by yourself, and if that doesn't work, go through them again until you understand every single step, piece, and point of information to learning how it works. When working on a solved problem in the textbook, the college says to work on the problem one step at a time, closing the book and working on the problem on your own, reproduce and repeat the work, to not memorize the solution, pace yourself on what to do next in the equation-solving process, and most important of all, be patient. Illustrations in the textbook are something not to be foregone. When dealing with these illustrations, study the picture, understand every line and symbol, and pay special attention to graphs and charts.

Accuracy:
a. The math reading suggestions came from "Conquering Math Anxiety, a Self Help Workbook" (Brooks/Cole 2010), written by yours truly, Cynthia Arem. Although the information is outdated, it stays true to its nature. The last update for Arem's web page was Wednesday, December 02, 2009 at 5:41:45 PM. The purpose of her providing this information was to help students that find themselves incapable of reading and interpreting information in math textbooks. As a professor, it is her sole duty to teach the new generation information spanning from her line of work.

b. The information was provided by the Great Basin College of Nevada, last updated on Wednesday, January 09, 2013 at 3:57:30 PM. The purpose of this article was to give aid to the everyday-struggling college student that has difficulty reading a math textbook. With these steps, any college student reading this article is now invincible to the insurmountable difficulty of a college-grade textbook, and will now excel beyond the human condition in the dark arts of mathematics.

Reasonableness:
a. The source seems to be fair. It is Professor Arem's duty to teach students, and as a side project, she has dedicated her studies to helping out students that are experiencing difficulties in reading their college-level textbooks. The information listed on her site all seems believable. She only provides advice to her students, all which enhances one's chances of learning and succeeding.

b. The source is a good source. Provided by a officially recognized and world-renowned college, the information was made to guide college students who suffer troubles in the math-related fields of study. All the information is believable, since it's basically just advice on how to survive reading.

Support:
a. http://cc.pima.edu/~carem/Mathtext.html
b. http://www.gbcnv.edu/documents/ASC/docs/00000075.pdf