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This comprehensive sourcebook, which identifies and locates kits, games, and manipulatives, is organized into broad subject areas, including reading and language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and health, and the arts. Some 1,500 entries provide physical descriptions of the materials and

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Booklist Review

Two librarians produced this unique catalog of about 1,400 in-print kits, games, and manipulatives for elementary school classrooms, kindergarten through grade six. Titles range from Cuisenaire Rods to popular math games such as Wff 'n Proof to Screwey Dewey, a game to teach library skills. Intended to fill a gap not covered by such reference sources as El-High Textbooks in Print, this volume arranges items by subject and grade level and provides author, source, format, and price. The book opens with usage notes that give precise definitions of kits, games, and manipulatives as well as explaining the numbering system, price symbols, and kinds of materials excluded. The authors note that a balance in items has been sought and that for this reason the catalog is a selective one. A preface by a Wheelock College education faculty member notes the history and rationale for child-directed construction and exploration of ideas via concrete means. Each entry has been assigned a number indicating subject and grade designation. The traditional elementary school subjects, such as reading and language arts, mathematics, social studies, and the like, are used. As is expected, the greater number of items fall into language arts and mathematics. However, art, music, science, health, and other subjects are represented. A final chapter on these "other subjects" includes such topics as sexual-abuse awareness, such languages as Hmong or Vietnamese, and color dominoes. Each entry has a descriptive abstract that is taken from publisher's catalogs and is not meant to be a critique. The book concludes with three indexes: title, author, and descriptor or subject. Here one can find items on Native Americans or number rounding or parts of speech. (It is necessary when using this index to recall the numbers assigned for the different grade levels in order to find appropriate materials.) A source directory provides addresses and telephone numbers. A similar publication is Brown's Directory of Instructional Programs, 1992, K-8. Both sources pull together information otherwise unavailable except in many publishers' catalogs. In sum, this is a well-conceived, well-executed, and original work. It fills a gap in the reference literature on instructional materials available to elementary school teachers. Academic and other libraries serving educators will want to own this valuable resource, as will curriculum coordinators. (Reviewed Sept. 1, 1993)