Math-ish: Finding Creativity, Diversity, and Meaning in Mathematics

Math-ish is a well reasoned evaluation of math learning and new ways to *think* about math education and how people learn, by Dr. Jo Boaler.Released 7th May 2024 by Harper Collins on their HarperOne imprint, it's 304 pages (print version) and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

The author has a long career in education and presents her experiences showing the differences in results for students who succeed and those who struggle. Many educational teaching methods haven't changed a whole lot in hundreds of years. Outdated methods are slowly being replaced but change has been slow and often ineffective. Currently mathematics classes are being stripped to the bare minimum due to funding cuts as well as a lack of qualified and engaged teachers. All of this has led to a significant decrease in mathematics competency for students in all stages of education. 

Additionally, the lack of diverse tailored methods has led directly to a lack of diversity. The past modality for teaching mathematics has proven inadequate for our current educational needs. The author makes a very good points for individual structure and creativity in mathematics education to reach more students of all backgrounds and actually *teach* them, helping them build their own problem solving tools instead of just using cookie-cutter tests to "cram - test - forget". The author also covers assessment methodology and feedback for reinforcing learning and helping students retain the skills they've acquired.

The text is well annotated throughout and the chapter notes will provide readers with a wealth of further sources. It's layman accessible, but information dense and a niche subject (but of course STEM education and competency are absolutely vital to our continued existence on the planet).

Four and a half stars.  Definitely a good choice for public and school library acquisition, educators, and others involved in teaching mathematics. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.