MORE NUMBER GAMES: Mathematics Made Easy Through Play

As a group of games, this collection is best used to reinforce skills already learned, not to introduce new ones. Intended for the home where parents are expected to provide motivation and support, it includes games for larger numbers of children too--such as classrooms or camp groups. Although billed as appropriate for elementary and junior high students, it's really most suitable for teenagers, even high schoolers, as many of the games assume mastery of the four basic operations and a working knowledge of negative numbers, fractions, decimals, percentages, square roots, and other skills not usually established until sixth grade. Most require no more than the simplest equipment--pencil and paper, deck of cards, set of dominoes, dice, a timer--and many are fairly diverting. There are magic squares and variations, palindromes, number tricks and patterns, complex codes--not a program but an assortment. Parents who choose this for odd moments will have to be selective; teachers already have more stimulating books available.