What resources do I recommend to prepare for the Geometry portion of the Praxis 5161 Exam?
For a fairly exhaustive and descriptive study content for Geometry, consult the link Geometry and Statistics Standards.
To begin with, any High School Geometry textbook should be good - though some are better than others: see below for my recommendations!
1. High School Geometry textbooks offer a good foundation for the subject:
a) Geometry - Concepts and Applications
Pub: Glencoe/McGrawHill
By: Cummins/Kanold/Kenney/ Malloy/Mojica OR By: Carter/Cuevas/Day/Malloy/Cummins
Comments: An outstanding textbook with excellent exercises and problem sets.
b) Geometry
Pub: Prentice Hall (now Pearson)
By: Kennedy/Charles/Bragg
Comments: Yet another marvelous textbook. Comparable to a).
c) Geometry
Pub: McDougal Littell;
By: Larson/Boswell/Stiff;
Comments: Our school uses this and is a good introductory textbook. My only quibble is that many of the exercises are not sophisticated enough for a teacher preparation standpoint, compared to the textbooks above / below.
d) Geometry
Pub: Houghton Mifflin;
By: Ray Jurgensen, Richard G. Brown;
Edition: 2000
Comments: The most advanced volume that I'd recommend for lads and lasses of a superior constitution. Its exercises can be more than a tad challenging for the greenhorn and the text somewhat brusque and to the point: indeed, some might find the content a trifle pithy for their comfort. (At Amazon.com's customer reviews, students are not especially enamored about it, but teachers find it gratifying! So experience with Geometry helps in the navigation of this gem of a book!!)
2. Other non-conventional options are:
a) Geometry for Dummies and Geometry Workbook for Dummies
By: Mark Ryan
Comments: When used in conjunction, these 2 books would afford excellent practice.
b) Schaum's Outline of Geometry
By: Barnett Rich (3rd Edition) or Christopher Thomas / Barnett Rich (5th Edition)
Comments: The Schaum's Outline Series of books directly jump into principles and problem-solving and lack the glitz and glamour of regular textbooks, but are an excellent and very affordable option. Further, topics aren't treated in adequate breadth and depth. For a school student, they might be sufficient, but definitely NOT for a teacher, OR for the Praxis. Instructors require more robust and rigorous preparation!
c) Geometry the Easy Way or E-Z Geometry
Pub: Barron's Educational Series;
By: Lawrence S. Leff;
Edition: 3rd
Comments: An excellent 'non'-textbook, authored very capably. Don't be misled by its condescending title: it's actually quite forthright and austere.
I've always been a big fan of using multiple books for getting a superior understanding of a subject. So, it'd be smart to use the above books in combination. Some possibilities:
* one of 1a / 1b / 1c / 1d AND one of 2a / 2b / 2c
* one amongst 1a / 1b / 1c AND 1d
* 2 amongst 2a / 2b / 2c
Further, for obvious reasons, it's not a bad idea to purchase the Solutions Manual for the textbooks -- or better still, the Annotated Teacher's Edition-- if available.
ALWAYS consult the back of your Geometry book for really precious resources such as:
* Skills Review
* Extra Practice
* Definitions of common Geometric Terms
* Potulates
* Theorems
* Formulae
* Index
As a source for Ready Reference, these are invaluable since they're brief, clear and direct. Additionally, they are often accompanied by Examples and Illustrations to aid understanding.
You can use the back of the book for quick review and for assessment purposes!
You can procure these books by:
a) approaching friendly High School teachers who might have copies of Geometry books to spare for a couple of months: attempt to overcome their reluctance by requesting relatively 'abused' copies that remain very usable OR offering to eat their week-old gruesome leftovers at home...
b) 'borrowing' (WINK!) from friends who recently did Math courses in college...
c) purchasing them (the best option as they're terrific for Reference purposes!) from a college bookstore (expensive!) OR online (used, hence, affordable!) at Amazon.com or half.com (owned by Ebay). I've recently pawned by Mom's heirlooms to buy gargantuan quantities of Amazon and Ebay stock - so I strongly endorse THIS option!! (I jest, you chaps!...I'm actually rather livid that my Mom doesn't have any heirlooms for me to pawn, seriously!)
d) by impersonating teachers and securing Examination copies for Free from credulous sales-reps. Tip: suggest that your enrollment is over 500 students...I kid, of course!
Finally, I've known chaps that do some sort of 'online research' for certain topics. Typical remark: "I was on the internet looking for stuff about Similar Triangles (or Polygons)!" I can't fathom what in the blazes these fellows are blathering about, as, to me, it all seems such a beastly WASTE OF ONE'S TIME: consult a bloody %&$#@%$# book!! (For starters, you'd pull up 8769876098 trillion gazillion quintillion mazillion billion jillion number of pages on Similar Triangles! Oh, did I forget to say mahillion?)
...This is apropos of nothing but I've just got feedback from several candidates about the MOST recent Praxis Geometry Qs - I help coach blokes for the Test, you see, through my Q Banks - and the first thing that struck me was that even those that'd mastered 'regular' school Geometry books would have likely found the MCQs more than a mite challenging: the material on dilations and loci were definitely beyond what's in a garden-variety text! But that's just MY thoroughly non-humble (?!) opinion...!
Text-wise, even an elementary book - say, abstracted from a public library - would suffice! I teach AP Statistics, and the books I'd recommend would be of a much higher sophistication level than what the Praxis 5161 exam requires, notwithstanding the pompous syllabus on their site. I would strongly recommend you to have at least TWO Geometry texts! Further, for obvious reasons, it's not a bad idea to purchase the Solutions Manual too - if available.
Comments? Email me at [email protected]
To begin with, any High School Geometry textbook should be good - though some are better than others: see below for my recommendations!
1. High School Geometry textbooks offer a good foundation for the subject:
a) Geometry - Concepts and Applications
Pub: Glencoe/McGrawHill
By: Cummins/Kanold/Kenney/ Malloy/Mojica OR By: Carter/Cuevas/Day/Malloy/Cummins
Comments: An outstanding textbook with excellent exercises and problem sets.
b) Geometry
Pub: Prentice Hall (now Pearson)
By: Kennedy/Charles/Bragg
Comments: Yet another marvelous textbook. Comparable to a).
c) Geometry
Pub: McDougal Littell;
By: Larson/Boswell/Stiff;
Comments: Our school uses this and is a good introductory textbook. My only quibble is that many of the exercises are not sophisticated enough for a teacher preparation standpoint, compared to the textbooks above / below.
d) Geometry
Pub: Houghton Mifflin;
By: Ray Jurgensen, Richard G. Brown;
Edition: 2000
Comments: The most advanced volume that I'd recommend for lads and lasses of a superior constitution. Its exercises can be more than a tad challenging for the greenhorn and the text somewhat brusque and to the point: indeed, some might find the content a trifle pithy for their comfort. (At Amazon.com's customer reviews, students are not especially enamored about it, but teachers find it gratifying! So experience with Geometry helps in the navigation of this gem of a book!!)
2. Other non-conventional options are:
a) Geometry for Dummies and Geometry Workbook for Dummies
By: Mark Ryan
Comments: When used in conjunction, these 2 books would afford excellent practice.
b) Schaum's Outline of Geometry
By: Barnett Rich (3rd Edition) or Christopher Thomas / Barnett Rich (5th Edition)
Comments: The Schaum's Outline Series of books directly jump into principles and problem-solving and lack the glitz and glamour of regular textbooks, but are an excellent and very affordable option. Further, topics aren't treated in adequate breadth and depth. For a school student, they might be sufficient, but definitely NOT for a teacher, OR for the Praxis. Instructors require more robust and rigorous preparation!
c) Geometry the Easy Way or E-Z Geometry
Pub: Barron's Educational Series;
By: Lawrence S. Leff;
Edition: 3rd
Comments: An excellent 'non'-textbook, authored very capably. Don't be misled by its condescending title: it's actually quite forthright and austere.
I've always been a big fan of using multiple books for getting a superior understanding of a subject. So, it'd be smart to use the above books in combination. Some possibilities:
* one of 1a / 1b / 1c / 1d AND one of 2a / 2b / 2c
* one amongst 1a / 1b / 1c AND 1d
* 2 amongst 2a / 2b / 2c
Further, for obvious reasons, it's not a bad idea to purchase the Solutions Manual for the textbooks -- or better still, the Annotated Teacher's Edition-- if available.
ALWAYS consult the back of your Geometry book for really precious resources such as:
* Skills Review
* Extra Practice
* Definitions of common Geometric Terms
* Potulates
* Theorems
* Formulae
* Index
As a source for Ready Reference, these are invaluable since they're brief, clear and direct. Additionally, they are often accompanied by Examples and Illustrations to aid understanding.
You can use the back of the book for quick review and for assessment purposes!
You can procure these books by:
a) approaching friendly High School teachers who might have copies of Geometry books to spare for a couple of months: attempt to overcome their reluctance by requesting relatively 'abused' copies that remain very usable OR offering to eat their week-old gruesome leftovers at home...
b) 'borrowing' (WINK!) from friends who recently did Math courses in college...
c) purchasing them (the best option as they're terrific for Reference purposes!) from a college bookstore (expensive!) OR online (used, hence, affordable!) at Amazon.com or half.com (owned by Ebay). I've recently pawned by Mom's heirlooms to buy gargantuan quantities of Amazon and Ebay stock - so I strongly endorse THIS option!! (I jest, you chaps!...I'm actually rather livid that my Mom doesn't have any heirlooms for me to pawn, seriously!)
d) by impersonating teachers and securing Examination copies for Free from credulous sales-reps. Tip: suggest that your enrollment is over 500 students...I kid, of course!
Finally, I've known chaps that do some sort of 'online research' for certain topics. Typical remark: "I was on the internet looking for stuff about Similar Triangles (or Polygons)!" I can't fathom what in the blazes these fellows are blathering about, as, to me, it all seems such a beastly WASTE OF ONE'S TIME: consult a bloody %&$#@%$# book!! (For starters, you'd pull up 8769876098 trillion gazillion quintillion mazillion billion jillion number of pages on Similar Triangles! Oh, did I forget to say mahillion?)
...This is apropos of nothing but I've just got feedback from several candidates about the MOST recent Praxis Geometry Qs - I help coach blokes for the Test, you see, through my Q Banks - and the first thing that struck me was that even those that'd mastered 'regular' school Geometry books would have likely found the MCQs more than a mite challenging: the material on dilations and loci were definitely beyond what's in a garden-variety text! But that's just MY thoroughly non-humble (?!) opinion...!
Text-wise, even an elementary book - say, abstracted from a public library - would suffice! I teach AP Statistics, and the books I'd recommend would be of a much higher sophistication level than what the Praxis 5161 exam requires, notwithstanding the pompous syllabus on their site. I would strongly recommend you to have at least TWO Geometry texts! Further, for obvious reasons, it's not a bad idea to purchase the Solutions Manual too - if available.
Comments? Email me at [email protected]