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Showing posts with label Mathematics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mathematics. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

June 06, 2018

Straightforward Pre-Algebra Your Whole Family Can Use {A Review + Coupon Code}




When we were given the chance to review Understanding Pre-Algebra from The Critical Thinking Co.™, I was pleased, because we are always looking for a right-fit math resource for one of my children and are also seeking a pencil-and-paper one to balance online learning for another child. Understanding Pre-Algebra looked like it might fit the bill for both of them.

I was also excited, because The Critical Thinking Co.™ has a generous permission policy that allows the original owners of materials to copy them for use within one family or classroom.  I just LOVE this copyright policy as it allows me to use a single resource with all three of my children in tandem or succession - a perfect policy for homeschool families with more than one child or for homeschool parents that teach co-op classes.

What is Understanding Pre-Algebra?

Understanding Pre-Algebra, which is available in print or as an e-book, is a hefty 442 page softcover work text aimed at students in grades 6-8, which teaches the math concepts and critical thinking skills necessary for future success in Algebra 1.  It is standards-based and organizes concepts into a logical order that aims to solidify specific concepts as prerequisites to other ones, helping students grow in confidence and skill as they make their way through connected learning.

Word problems within the book are taught using charts and tables, so students learn strategies for solving them instead of being asked to just figure things out on their own.

The book takes students, concept by concept, through understanding of:
  • number families (natural, whole, integers, prime, etc.)
  • working with integers
  • working with rational numbers 
  • ration, proportion, and percent
  • algebreic expression
  • equations and solving word problams
  • inequalities and applications
  • understanding square roots and irrational numbers
  • two dimensional geometry
  • understanding volume and surface area
  • graphing on the coordinate plane
  • transformations and congruency
  • understanding functions
  • probability and statistics 

Of course, if you have not been doing a lot with math lately, some of these terms might not be so familiar anymore, and, that's okay!  The book has that covered through then inclusion of a handy glossary as well as highlighted boxes throughout the text.

It also includes a formula reference sheet and a table of square roots.  Plus, of course, there are pages with the answers to all of the problems presented in the book.  (These pages show JUST the answers, not the way the solutions were figured out.)

Pages are perforated, so students who need to see just a little at a time can easily remove the pages they are working on, or so parents can rip out the solution pages.

Each chapter has a review and there is an included final exam as well. 

All this adds up to a single-book, straight-forward, clear resource for learning Pre-Algebra as a full year course.  It also means that those who are using a different curriculum - online or in print - can easily use this book as a secondary source, quickly turning to pages that present ares students need more practice or a different explanation of.

The simple organization of the curriculum is definitely a plus.

How Did We Use It and What Did We Think?


My rising sixth grader was the child who wished to try Understanding Pre-Algebra as she had become enamored with an Algebra book her brother used before, but found it a little too difficult.  So, she thought this Pre-Algebra book might be just right.

Even though Understanding Pre-Algebra is written in such a way that a student could use it independently, since my daughter has dyslexia, we opted to use the book together.  So, we set a timer and dug in to Chapter One for 15 minutes with success.

By our third or fourth 15-minute session with the text, however, we both agreed that my daughter's foundational elementary learning of arithmetic had not fully prepared her for Understanding Pre-Algebra yet, so we decided to table our use of the book until a future time.

When I asked my daughter what she thought about the pages she did use, she said:
I like how much white space each page has.  I also like how the things they want you to focus on are highlighted.  The explanations were clear and there were not too few or too many problems.  I think I might want to use it in the future.




I also asked my oldest son, a rising seventh grader, to try Understanding Pre-Algebra, because both my husband and I agree that, although my son would rather simply do math online and in his head, he needs to do some with paper-and-pencil.  The main math curriculum he has been using online has become an "easy button" for us, but, we have noticed it is too easy in that it does not cause our son to think, strategize, process and remember math as well as we would like him to do so.

Thus, we asked my son to start using Understanding Pre-Algebra for 15 minutes at a time independently.  He complied, but not happily, since he does not like workbooks for math.

When I asked my son for his thoughts on this book, he said:

I don't care for it, because it is a workbook.  I prefer online learning, which is better for me.  This workbook seems pretty much the same as any other math workbook.  It teaches you, then you have to do problems, and there is writing. I don't like writing.  Typing is faster, so maybe I would like this if it was an online workbook that auto-corrected one problem before giving you another.


If I had to say three positive things about it, I would say:
  1. I only have to do it for 15 minutes at a time.
  2. You can copy it so your sister and brother can use it, too.
  3. It made me aware of things I did not know.
I know Mom is going to make me use this sometimes still and that she is going to do it with me.

Yes, my boy is pretty blunt and, yes, he is correct.  We will continue to use this book in conjunction with other math resources and I will begin using it alongside him for a while.

The reason we will use the book despite my son's aversion to workbooks is that my husband and I are not seeing enough fruit from my son's past year of mostly online math learning and both like the clear, incremental way Understanding Pre-Algebra presents math. 

The reason I will use the workbook alongside my son as we move forward  instead of asking him to continue to work on it on his own is because it has become apparent to me that my son lacks the study skills and stamina necessary to work through more difficult math on paper, and, so would do better with me giving him some immediate feedback and reminders to focus until his math mind and ability to work independently develop further.

So, overall, I am happy we have had the opportunity to review
Understanding Pre-Algebra. 

Though it proved above my daughter's level, we both saw how it could work for her in the future when her foundational skills are stronger, and though my son did not favor it, my husband and I agree that the curriculum is sound. 

We plan to continue to use this resource as a supplementary resource for my son to work his math skills and his stamina with pencil work.  We also believe this book will be an ideal fit for my youngest child - who is only in second grade right now - but already shows signs of being more of a "workbook kid" that would appreciate the straightforward approach of Understanding Pre-Algebra.

The fact that The Critical Thinking Co.™ allows a family to copy the resource for every child's use, then, is great for us!

BONUS - A FREE OFFER!

Would you like FREE Critical Thinking Puzzles?  Sign up now at
https://www.criticalthinking.com/toscrew to get Critical Thinking Puzzles delivered weekly to your inbox weekly. Choose PreK – Grade 8.  (A $75 value.)

FREE SHIPPING AND COUPON!

Get FREE SHIPPING + 15% off any size order at The Critical Thinking Co.™  using the coupon code: TOSCREW18, which expires 12/31/2018.

 

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Wednesday, March 14, 2018

March 14, 2018

Blend Math, Art, History and More with NatureGlo {A Review}

When I first heard about the MathArt Online 4-Class Bundle by NatureGlo's eScience , I was excited at the possibility of reviewing it, since I appreciate when learning is integrated instead of compartmentalized , seek avenues for my children to connect math (and other "subjects") to the real world , and have learners who do not always do well with conventional studies.  Since the creator and instructor of the program Gloria Brooks was a teacher who stepped away from the classroom and developed her own unique style of teaching flavored by educational philosophies including Montesorri, Charlotte Mason and child-led learning, I was even more interested to see how the courses would play out in integrating science, math, history, culture, literature, and the natural world.

Admittedly, when we signed up for and began a free trial class, my excitement waned.  The style of presentation - basically screenshots of slides with voiceovers - just did not appeal to my middle child nor me.  We thought, however, premium content must be better, and, with high hopes for a truly unique and stellar online learning experience awaited our review log-in information, which we decided would be used mainly by my twelve year old, with the rest of us learning alongside him as we desired or had time.



When our log-in information came, we were a bit frustrated with the password system, since it required us to choose a password far longer and different than any my children had previously used or been able to remember and the system for resetting forgotten passwords was low.  We experienced a few other computer glitches early on, too, which we contacted Gloria about.  Thankfully, she was prompt in responding and making suggestions which helped solve the minor issues.  Thus, she impressed me with her attention to customer inquiries. 

After that, we were off and running with few problems. I sat with my oldest and my other children to do our first lessons with MathArt  focused on Ancient History.  Three of the four of us found the raw recorded lesson portions a bit long and lacking.  However, we all enjoyed other portions of the class, and I have amusing memories of my younger two children dancing to the cultural music played during one part of the course.  I also appreciated the time and effort that must have gone into Gloria curating a rich array of learning resources and links to integrate together.

Gloria has done this for all four 6-week courses in the bundle:
  • Math Connections in the Real World
  • MathArt in Ancient Cultures
  • MathArt in Arts & Sciences
    MathArt: Pattterns in Nature

These courses can be attended live or viewed as recorded lessons (which our review was for) and include videos where Gloria acts as a remote instructor, reading points from slides and periodically sprinkling in dialogue. She encourages live students to interact using their microphones and drawing tools and, when viewing the raw lesson footage, we can hear and see all interactions.  I found this to be a less-than-best use of time, since I felt we could glean the same information in a much cleaner format, with Gloria's face showing as she taught portions of the lessons and without so much raw recording dead time, distractions, etc.  For, of course, in live lessons, one expects pauses, tangents,volume fluctuations, etc,, but, in y opinion, these have little place in recorded lessons.  A bit more editing could go a long way in streamlining the live recorded lessons for students viewing their recordings.

Other portions of the lessons included reading, optional hands-on, activities, quizzes, interactive online activities and more.  Plus, links and general guidance was offered for supplementary resources to give wider perspectives on topics and go into greater depth. The level of difficulty and interest of these resources varied, and since the course is meant for ages 12 and up, which is a fairly wide-range, I would love to see Gloria add notes or ratings about their difficulty levels to help students and their parents better understand which of he any curated resources might be most suitable to hop down bunny trails on.

The courses are fairly easily to navigate. Once you click on a course, an expandable menu on the right side of the screen lets you see the individual portions of each lesson in the course.  If the lesson has not been taught live, there is limited information.  If it has, there is more, allowing you to click through any feature of each lesson to go directly to related activities, so you can progress in a linear fashion, or just hit the parts you are most interested in.  You can also check off which lesson portions you complete and click a button at the bottom of each page to go into next activities.  That makes it easy to see when specific lessons/activities are complete and to move on.

Within all the offerings is a wide array of cross-curricula material in the form of videos, links, quizzes, study guides, slide shows, pdfs, and more.  Everything in a course interconnects, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in self-paced learning.

Undoubtedly, Gloria is passionate about providing students with a wide array of materials to inspire their curiosity and passions while connecting what is typically single-subject learning through an online unit-study approach.  In my opinion, she hits the mark to some degree, but still could use some honing of the recorded product to make it more appealing and time-effective for children like my middle child and for parent like me (who typically like to learn alongside children.)

I do think, however, that, even its current form, MathArt has merit and could be ideal for students who have a passion for connected learning of math, art, and more and ample time to sit through recordings, dive into activities on and offline, and hop down bunny trails of further learning.  So, I encourage you to check out the free trial class (on Beluga Whales) to see if the courses might be a good fit for you.

My twelve-year-old son - our main reviewer - had this to share:


My mom told me we had a chance to review the MathArt Online 4-Class Bundle by NatureGlo's eScience, so I asked her to show me what it was online.  We looked around the NatureGlo's eScience website and signed up for a trial class.  I decided I wanted to try it.

When we were accepted for the review and first got our log-in information, we were frustrated by the password system and still think it needs to be fixed to allow you to do easier to remember passwords.  Once we got past that, my brother, sister, Mom and I did the first lessons of Math-Art in Ancient Cultures together.  My brother liked it.  So did I.  So, I have been using it by myself since, and, often, my little brother walks over, watches me, asks me questions, and learns with me.
The courses are meant to take six weeks, but, because of password problems, power outages, sickness, and a million other things, I have not completed the Ancient Cultures course yet.  I have gotten 61.11% finished and earned some achievements, too.  You earn achievements by finishing lessons.

Because the course is a pre-recorded classes, I can do it anytime around problems.  That's a good thing.  A bad thing is that I WANT to do it live, because then I could answer the questions and stuff and interact with the people in the class.  The materials in the pre-recorded class are interesting, but I would much prefer them live!
To use MathArt you log on, go to your course, then click on the section you are on, and, then, do the lesson.  The lessons include different parts depending on what is being taught.  Some parts are:

  • videos of the teacher and students during their live classes where you mostly see a screenshot of the teacher's computer and very rarely people's faces.  I do not like this.  I would like to see who is talking.
  • videos from Youtube and other sites that the teacher presents related to the class.  These are things you could find yourself, but it is very convenient to have them all there and the choices are usually good.
  • downloadable things like study guides.
  • DK Find Outs and other website sections that you could find on your own, but that are conveniently brought to you through the class.
  • other web resources and project activities for further learning.

I have found most of the materials helpful and interesting.  I like the videos that tell stories the best.  I sometimes learn from the teacher talking to the students, but sometimes I learn more from doing things myself.

Before taking this course, I had studied a lot about European, Mediterranean, and Colonial cultures, wars, and history, but had not done much Asian or Native American.  So, in this course, I have been adding to my learning about Greeks and learning more than I had before about Asian people.  For example, I learned about how Indian people used spears for hunting and about how they made grid cities.
My mom told me these courses are supposed to teach me math and science in unique way.  I find they are mostly about math and art and have almost zero science.  The math in this course is almost always geometry and is presented in different ways loosely connected to the topics of lessons.  For example, they talked about a Greek guy and there was a thing there about how to fit a pole in a trailer on a truck.  It was about Pythagorean theory and the guy was Pythagoras.  Another example is that I had to do a boring thing about shapes and Platonic Solids related to ancient Greek math.  So, I don't think this course is the best approach to math or science, but I do think it is good for art and I find it interesting overall.
Since this is a review program, it is worth me investing time in it, and I will keep doing after the review, since it is interesting and free.  I am not sure I would spend a lot of money on it though, because a lot of the stuff can be found in other places and because the Ancient Cultures class is mostly just showing you art and making you do a little math connected to cultures.  There are better, more efficient ways of learning about math, science, and art. 
Still, I think some would like this course.  It teaches a lot about culture and organizes many resources into one easy to use program.  The teacher seems to enjoy the subjects and teaches through discussions with kids and resources on the website.  Her style gives you some information and shows you where to get more.
MathArt's Ancient Cultures is an okay course some kids can enjoy.  It is good for parents because they don't have to help their kids do it.
Learn More



Each 6-week MathArt  class currently sells for $149, with a 4-class Bundle offered at 10% off, or $536.40 for a year.  The classes are taught from a nuetral worldview (non-religious) and integrate multiple subjects into single online unit studies with hands-on options, too.

NatureGlo's eScience can be found on social media at:

Seventy Homeschool Review Crew families tried out  Find links to all the reviews by clicking through the banner.



If you're looking to combine art, music, history, and a bit of science with live or recorded classes, MathArt Online 4-Class Bundle might be for you.  Be sure to check out their free trial classes to get a flavor for how the courses work to see if they are a good fit for your family.

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Monday, February 26, 2018

February 26, 2018

My Children Found The Starfall Home Membership Fun


"Mom, can we get it?" my younger two children asked when they heard we might be able to review a one year subscription to The Starfall Home Membership from Starfall Education Foundation.  For ever since they had completed all the fun, free options on Starfall.com, they've been curious what learning games and activities might be discovered with a paid membership. 

Since mid-January, my children's curiosity happily satiated.  As a choice during their lesson times, as well as during their free online times, my younger two have been exploring The Starfall Home Membership.  


Included in the membership are online and printable activities for:
  • phonics 
  • learning to read 
  • folk tales and fables





  • math 
  • folk songs
  • classical music
  • poetry
  • riddles
  • sign language


    and more!  All of these are super easy for children to navigate, making use of Starfall intuitive, fun, and educational.

    There is also a complete     parent-teacher center, which is accessible once a math problem written in words has been solved.  This section of the site  is chick full of helpful information, tips, printables, and more.  There are with worksheet generators.


    The Starfall Home Membership could truly act as a "spine" for learning for pre-k through first grade learners.  It also can engage older children like mine as a supplementary program for fun or to develop lagging skills.  The wide variety of offerings and enjoyable nature of included activities and games makes it especially helpful for reluctant or developing learners, too, I find.  My older child with dyslexia enjoys reading along with portions of the program, reinforcing skills.



    What the Kids Had to Say

    My children are older than the typical pre-k through 1st grade user of The Starfall Home Membership and have no need for the printable portions of it.  Thus, they have been using our membership completely independently several times a week on our laptops or Kindles.  Sometimes, their big brother looked on, too, because the graphics and audio caught his attention.



    My youngest has this to say:
    I wanted to get Starfall, because I had used the free stuff and I wanted to listen to more than one song, read more than a few books, and be able to do all the math stuff, because when you have it free you can only do a few of these.  When we got it, the first thing I did was the folks songs.  They were fun! 

    I like the reading and the math, too.  For the reading, I like the Greek Myths and the stuff about space and firefighters... 


    The math is kind of easy.  It's too easy for me, so I don't use it much except for for fun. 
    I am seven and I think this program is good for ages 2-5, but I still like it.  I would recommend people with little kids to get it.  I will still use it while we have it.  I like it.



    My middle child, who is still developing in some of her literacy skills, said:

    I wanted to get Starfall, because there is a free version and I kept on looking at it.  They had logos on it you could not click through without a membership and I wanted to figure out what they were all about.  I especially wanted to figure out what was in the math section, because there were only one or two things in the free version.  
    When we got our membership, I also realized there were more songs.  They are good.  There are drawings that go along with them, and I like to watch and sing along. 


    I also like the talking library.  It is basically a library shelf in the middle with folk tales and another choice on the two sides of the shelf.  You can click on a book, and it will open.  You can then read along with a voice or read by yourself without the voice.  I did it both ways, because I wanted to see how it is different.  I decided I like it with the voice, because I like how they use expression.  


    I liked all the reading parts of the program, because they are all pretty much like that - you can read along or read by yourself.  That can help kids with reading skills. 


    Of course, I tried the math, too, but it was too easy.  I would like them to make a little harder math. 
    I am ten years old, and I think the math is good for maybe kindergarten through second grade (which Mom later told me is what the program is meant for.)  The reading has different sections for different levels of learners and, I think, is good for anyone still getting stronger in reading.
    The songs are good for anyone.  They are just fun! 


    I am glad we got the program.  I will keep using it to have fun and to have easy breaks between my other lessons.  I would recommend the learning parts for children at least under fifth grade.  For bigger kids, I don't think it's good for main learning - like "this is my curriculum"-  but it's good for a side thing. It could be good for 3-5 year olds for main learning, but I don't think they should be online so much.  The program would work for that, because the lessons are easy and short.  There is math, reading, and other fun parts.

    As you can tell from her narrated review The Starfall Home Membership definitely has appeal and purpose for older children with developing skills.  The audio option and engaging content kept my daughter happy and building her skills.  She did not complain about anything being "babyish", but rather, enjoyed using Starfall, as did her brother.  

    If you have a child who needs some extra practice in developing reading skills and likes short bursts of online learning that can be used independently, I'd recommend a membership to Starfall.  The variety of content, intuitive design, and fun animations and sounds can help your elementary-aged child to gain extra needed practice in order to master skills.  Plus, because the computer website and mobile app are easy to navigate and are free from advertisements and links to pages outside of the Starfall platform, children can use the membership independently while parents enjoy peace of mind.


    Our family will continue to enjoy The Starfall Home Membership in the coming weeks and months.
      
    Learn More


    The Starfall Home Membership is only $35 per year and comes as a single account that can be used by anyone in your immediate family (including grandparents). One email and password for your membership authorizes all your computers and mobile devices, and membership is mobile ready with a download of the Starfall FREE App for Android, Kindle, or iOS.
    .
    Teacher, classroom, and school memberships cost more.

    The Starfall Home Membership {Starfall Education Foundation Reviews}

    Sixty Homeschool Review Crew families tried The Starfall Home Membership out.  Find each family's review by clicking through the banner.

    You can find the Starfall Education Foundation on social media at:
    Is your youngster ready for learning fun?  Take a peak at The Starfall Home Membership!

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    Tuesday, October 3, 2017

    October 03, 2017

    Super Teacher Worksheets for the Win!

    We are not generally worksheet-type family, but when we saw a chance to review an Individual Membership from Super Teacher Worksheets, we jumped at the opportunity. 

    Why? 



    I knew from past experience with Super Teachers Worksheets that their online subscription library of 10,000+ printables (mainly aimed at kindergarten through fifth grade level children) is an organized and ideal resource for our homeschooling needs.  Seriously, it has a bevy of printables accessible pdf's in all the main subject areas, including:
    • math
    • reading & writing


    • phonics & early literacy
    • handwriting
    • grammar
    • spelling
    • social studies
    • science

    ... and more.  Plus, there printables on:
    • Spanish
    • music
    • holidays

    ... and more, including helps like printable handwriting paper and even a worksheet generator!  


    Puzzles, games, maps, traditional drills and  Q & A...  You search for it on the easy-to-navigate Super Teacher Worksheets page , and your Individual Membership likely has it, and, if it does not now, it may soon.  New materials are regularly added.

    Without question, I find     using Super Teacher Worksheets simple and effective. The huge and well-organized library of resources in our subscription make it easy for me to quickly key into concepts and skills that my children are already exploring, as well as to introduce new ones, review old ones, and fill in "missed ones" (you know, those "holes in education" that sometimes come up).  Thus, even I - a typical non-lover of worksheets - appreciate Super Teacher Worksheets so much and recommend it to others!


    So Many Options

    We use     Super Teacher Worksheets in many ways. For example:




    Before a field trip to a local college to learn about Spectroscopy and, then, view stars, planets and the moon through telescopes at their observatory, we reviewed what we already knew about space using several printables from the Super Teachers library, including a Q & A one that we played a game with (stumping even me a times).



    Reviewing (and "testing") United States geography, we've been adding a new challenge to our Together Time studies, where we set a timer for five minutes and see how many states we an identify from memory.



    As my youngest heads into more multiplication and division studies, he's been working through skip counting sheets as review.  (For good measure, so have his siblings.)

    Also:

    • as a tie-in to a writing class at co-op, we have played "Sentence-No Sentence" quiz games using ELA printables
    • I have bookmarked some music printables for when we have some time, since at our lastAMP (Art-Music-Poetry) club meeting the children liked writing "musical words" by writing notes on the different staff lines to create name and words "songs".
    • We have used quickie math printables to review facts.

    I could go on and one about what we have used from     Super Teacher Worksheets and what we plan to use next, but,instead, I will simply suggest you check out the site yourself, where you'll find samples, and also take a peak at my prior review.
     
     


    Learn More

    Find Super Teacher Worksheets on social media at:
      Super Teacher Worksheets

  • Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/superteacherworksheets 
  • Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SuperTeacherWks   
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    • Super Teacher Worksheets


    Seventy Homeschool Review Crew families have been benefiting from this comprehensive library of printable resources.  Get a  peak into more of the resources by clicking through to read all of our reviews as many of us chose different ones to highlight. 

     
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    Wednesday, August 9, 2017

    August 09, 2017

    It Really Is Non-Nonsense Algebra {a Review}


    My oldest son likes to learn math independently in short stints of 15-20 minutes, preferably online.  I like to check in on his learning, preferably offscreen.  Thus, when I saw No-Nonsense Algebra from Math Essentials, I thought, Perfect!  (Or almost perfect.)  The online portion of the program could appeal to my son and an offline paper portion appeals to me.  (He might not be 100% ready for full-on Algebra, but he definitely could stretch with pre-Algebra, and may even roll right into the rest without problems.  So it was that I opted to review this high-school level Math course with my just-entering middle school son.

    What Makes the Program Helpful?
     
    No-Nonsense Algebra consists of a 275-page softcover book and a corresponding series of video lessons taught by Richard W. Fisher (which can be accessed using a code in the book.) 

    Each lesson is:

    • concise (so math lessons need not drag on on any given day)
    • self-contained (so students who struggle with particular concepts can bone up on those specific topics without having to do every lesson in the book)
    • inclusive of helpful hints, clear examples, exercises for practice, and exercises for review (so mastery happens)
    • explained both in writing and through video lessons (which helps reach students with different learning styles, or, in the case of my family, helps reach paper-loving Mom and screen-loving son)

    Chapter Reviews and a Final Review are also included in the book, as are helpful extras, which include:

    • solutions for all problems  (so student can self-check their work)
    • a glossary (which is handy for students who have not internalized "math speak")
    • a list of important formulas (which helps Moms like me who have not done Algebra in ages, and, of course, helps students, too)
    • a list of important symbols (which is, again, handy for those who confuse or have forgotten math-related symbols)
    • tables for multiplication, commonly used prime number, squares and square roots, and fraction/decimal equivalents (which are super handy for children who struggle to recall facts and figures)

    Truly, I am impressed with how complete and concise     No-Nonsense Algebra is.  The program lives up to its name by offering a way for students to achieve math mastery without having to wade through fluff and distractions - and without Mom or Dad having to do much 1:1 teaching.

    How Did We Use It?
     
    Of course, when using No-Nonsense Algebra with students below high school level, sitting down 1:1 can be helpful, so that is what my son and I did when we first cracked open No-Nonsense Algebra.  Or rather, we sat down 3:1, for, when I sat down with my oldest to complete Lesson 1-1 together, my two younger children decided to join us.  They were curious about the video lesson.  So, I capitalized on the moment,  had all three children grab paper, and completed that first No-Nonsense Algebra lesson together. 

    To my surprise, even my seven year old met with success when adding integers during Lesson 1-1.  Honestly, I did not think he would be able to do it, but, he was interested, and, as the lesson progressed, he quickly caught on to the rules of how to add positive and negative numbers,  So did my 10-year-old daughter.  Lessons are that clear!

    Thus, the following day, out of curiosity, I suggested that we all sit down together again to study Algebra.  As we completed Lesson 1-2 on Subtracting Integers, my seven year old lost interest, which I was completely okay with, for this program is a high school program and my 7-year-old is just a typical child - not a math savant. 

    I thought my daughter might also lose interest in joining her big brother and me for Algebra lessons, but, surprisingly, she did not.  Instead, she persisted and happily completed Lesson 1-2 alongside her big brother, even asking me to grade her.  Since we don't typically do grades here, and, since she has been doing math at a much lower grade level than her big brother, I was both amused and impressed by her desire to work through     No-Nonsense Algebra lessons.



    Oh, how my daughter beamed knowing she'd just learned some math alongside her big brother- and had done well at it, too! It was such an awesome moment.  My daughter had been suffering from lack of confidence in her skills, and the fact that she liked the No-Nonsense Algebra lesson format and succeeded with it thrilled me!

    Going with this success, I kept our family's approach to     No-Nonsense Algebra the same for the next two lessons: Mom and the kids on the couch with a laptop, the book, some notebooks, and a few pencils.  However, as we got into multiplying and dividing integers, something became obvious: whereas my oldest son could handle the work, holes in my daughter's mastery of multiplication and division facts prevented her from continuing her streak of Algebra success. 

    My daughter clearly understood concepts presented in the lessons, but struggled with quick and correct math fact recall and, thus, did not do all of her figuring right.  Thus, before she could get down about her progress with     No-Nonsense Algebra, I gave her a big hug and said, "Wow!  You have been doing HIGH SCHOOL math and you GET IT!  The only reason you've had some trouble here is because the paths in your brain that help you quickly recall facts are not 100% yet.  When you get those down, you are going to be a whiz at this!"

    At this, my daughter smiled, got thoughtful, and asked if we could go back to work on her facts and, then, return to Algebra. "Why, absolutely!" was my response, and, so, the next day, she was back to math fact drills and practice while my oldest continued with     No-Nonsense Algebra.

    At this point, I asked my oldest if he was ready to try doing his     No-Nonsense Algebra on his own, which he was.  So, I explained that he could even check his answers on his own after he completed either all the odds or all the evens on any given page, and, then, if he had succeeded with the problems he attempted, he could be done for the day.


    Since then, 3-5 days a week, my son has used No-Nonsense Algebra as he main math curriculum.  At first, he did well with this - succeeding with lessons and seldom complaining.  However, when work got harder, the complaints began:  "This is too hard."  "I don't like this."  "No, I don't need your help. I can figure this out, but it's stupid."

    "No, it's not son.  It's challenging, but useful and well explained.  I am happy to help you if you need me to do so. Daddy is, too.  Then, if you still don't get it, we can pause for a while," was, more or less, my response.

    As is typical for my son, he did not want the help nor did he want to push through the tough spots.  For, my son does not like when he does not "get" math concepts right away, nor does he like it when he cannot easily solve problems in his head.  He likes copying problems out of a book onto notebook paper even less. Still - I am happy to say - he pushed through all these "don't likes", persisted with learning, and made it to Lesson 1-12 by Monday of this week, which impressed me (and proved to both him and me that he can succeed with higher level math when he puts his mind to it and has a quality resource to help him!)



    What Are Our Thoughts on the Program and Would We Recommend It?
     

    When I asked my son about his experience with No-Nonsense Algebra thus far, he said:


     "No-Nonsense Algebra is an algebra program that teaches using online videos and a workbook.  In each video, a teacher explains what the video is about (a math point) and asks you to write along with what he is saying.  He takes you through examples.  Then, the workbook has more problems that you have to do alone.  It has the answers in the back so you can check your work.

    I think there are too many problems on most pages, so Mom has me do half of them - which I still think is crazy.  If I get most of them right, I can keep going with the next lesson.  If I don't,  I have to do more problems.

    The lessons are set up to do a ton at one time - the short videos and all the problems, but my mom said, when we are busy, I can just do 15 minutes of work at a time. That usually means the video and some of the problems.  When we are not busy, I do a video and all of one half of the problems.

    I really don't like this (doing 1/2 the problems in a lesson), because it takes up time, is frustrating, I get things wrong, and I have to do more problems.

    The man teaches well.  I will give him that, but the workbook is hard and my mom does not let me write in it.  I don't like copying problems and doing the work out.

    I think I might like it later, but right now, it is above my grade level. I want to do some more 6th grade math and, then, may try this again."

    So, as you can see, my son is progressing, does not like to practice math with a lot of exercises, and has come to a point where we need to pause our work on     No-Nonsense Algebra, not because the program is not a good one - for it is excellent - but because my son could benefit from a bit more lower math before progressing further.  (This is not surprising since he is only 11 years old and has, to date, used a hodge podge of math resources in a sometimes super relaxed way.)
     
    With this in mind, I believe that once my oldest completes a bit more "on grade level" math, he will be in a prime spot to excel with the rest of     No-Nonsense Algebra.  I think my daughter will, too.  In fact, she asked if she could add a quick comment to this review, and, said:

    I did the first few lessons of No-Nonsense Algebra, but then it got a little too hard. 

    I discovered Algebra is fun, but I need to learn more of my other skills before I can continue.  I want to go back to this book when I finish my other skills.

    Did you hear that?  My 10 year old said written Algebra is fun!  She wants to learn more using this resource.  And she will! 

    So, even if my daughter is on pause with the program, and I am giving her big brother a break from it, too, I am keeping our     No-Nonsense Algebra book at the front of our math cubby as incentive for my daughter to get through the work of solidifying her basic math facts, so she can get back to applying algebra concepts using No-Nonsense Algebra.  I am also considering getting her the 4th and 5th grade or middle school books that  Math Essentials offers, since it appears that the format of the lessons  - with video explanations and examples, and uncluttered pages of written examples, exercises, and review  - work well for her.

    Likewise, I will encourage my oldest to return to     No-Nonsense Algebra as soon as he is ready to do so.

    I would say     Math Essentials would work well for other children who prefer concise, straight-forward, math learning or review, too!  I am truly pleased to have been introduced to No-Nonsense Algebra for my own homeschool purposes as well as to have this resource now to recommend to high school students that I mentor who are preparing for college entrance exams or just struggling with high school math.  No-Nonsense Algebra, I believe, can help students reach math mastery fairly quickly and painlessly, not to mention inexpensively.  (Where some math curricula cost big bucks, this full algebra program currently costs just $28.95)

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