1As in previous editions, the focus in PREALGEBRA & INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA: An Applied Approach remains on the Aufmann Interactive Method (AIM). Students are encouraged to be active participants in the classroom and in their own studies as they work through the How To examples and the paired Examples and You Try It problems. Student engagement is crucial to success. Presenting students with worked examples, and then providing them with the opportunity to immediately solve similar problems, helps them build their confidence and eventually master the concepts.