Preface  (Page 3/6)

All chapters are broken down into multiple sections, the titles of which can be viewed in the Table of Contents.

Accuracy of the content

We have taken great pains to ensure the validity and accuracy of this text. Each chapter’s manuscript underwent rounds of review and revision by a panel of active instructors. Then, prior to publication, a separate team of experts checked all text, examples, and graphics for mathematical accuracy. A third team of experts was responsible for the accuracy of the Answer Key, dutifully re-working every solution to eradicate any lingering errors. Finally, the editorial team conducted a multi-round post-production review to ensure the integrity of the content in its final form.

The Solutions Manual, which was written and developed after the Student Edition, has also been rigorously checked for accuracy following a process similar to that described above. Incidentally, the act of writing out solutions step-by-step served as yet another round of validation for the Answer Key in the back of the Student Edition.

In spite of the efforts described above, we acknowledge the possibility that—as with any textbook—some errata have slipped past the guards. We encourage users to report errors via our Errata (https://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/prealgebra/errata) page.

Pedagogical foundations and features

Learning Objectives

Each chapter is divided into multiple sections (or modules), each of which is organized around a set of learning objectives. The learning objectives are listed explicitly at the beginning of each section, and are the focal point of every instructional element

Narrative text

Narrative text is used to introduce key concepts, terms, and definitions, to provide real-world context, and to provide transitions between topics and examples. An informal voice was used to make the content accessible to students.

Throughout this book, we rely on a few basic conventions to highlight the most important ideas:

• Key terms are boldfaced, typically when first introduced and/or when formally defined.
• Key concepts and definitions are called out in a blue box for easy reference.

Examples

Each learning objective is supported by one or more worked examples, which demonstrate the problem-solving approaches that students must master. Typically, we include multiple Examples for each learning objective in order to model different approaches to the same type of problem, or to introduce similar problems of increasing complexity.

All Examples follow a simple two- or three-part format. First, we pose a problem or question. Next, we demonstrate the Solution, spelling out the steps along the way. Finally (for select Examples), we show students how to check the solution. Most examples are written in a two-column format, with explanation on the left and math on the right to mimic the way that instructors “talk through” examples as they write on the board in class.

Figures

Openstax Prealgebra contains many figures and illustrations. Art throughout the text adheres to a clear, understated style, drawing the eye to the most important information in each figure while minimizing visual distractions.