I need to start this post off with a little confession...I really wasn't excited about this review. Did I say (or type, actually) that out loud? You see, the thing is, this write up is about a Math resource, and well, my daughters and I just aren't in love with the subject. For the first six years, we had a fairly smooth ride. The material clicked for the most part, and the struggles were minimal. Then we hit Pre-Algebra. Bam. It was like a brick wall popped up out of nowhere. We tried a variety of products, curriculum, and supplements. There was a degree of success, but still much struggle. So maybe you can understand why the thought of adding another program to our studies didn't put me over the moon. And then, along came
Thinkwell , who provided us with 12 months of access to their
6th to 8th Grade Math , more specifically, their
8th Grade Pre-Algebra Online Course online course to use and review. Would this finally be "the one" ? Well, read on and see how it went for us.
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| A little information. |
Getting started is easy. Follow the prompts to set up your account, and begin. This review is about Math, but they also offer other subjects. The program provides an easy to follow schedule, just click and go. The Pre-Algebra course is a 12 month subscription that covers everything you need to know and would find in any school class. The lessons are done with videos (about 5-10 minutes long), and follow up with questions and review. There are printable notes and worksheets for your convenience and extra study. There is also a printable workbook that uses the same material presented by the teacher. This may help those that like the videos, but also benefit from later study. Lessons are automatically graded as well.
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| The schedule of topics makes it easy to follow. |
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| The lessons are well organized. |
In my student years, I had my share of Math teachers, some good, some bad. One particularly bad one actually told me I was a loser when I had trouble mastering an Algebra concept. Yep, a loser. Not surprisingly, I did poorly in his class. Fortunately, I had some other teachers who were marvelous, encouraging every effort and success. As you might expect, those experiences affected the way that I present the subject to my daughters. I want them to want to learn.
The instructor for the 6th-8th Grade Math/ Pre-Algebra is Edward Burger. He is an award winning professor with an impressive resume that can be read on the Thinkwell website. He has had great reviews from his students, and after using this course, I see why. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but Math teachers can be, well, a little weird and unapproachable. Some have the Math knowledge, but are not able to translate that information in a way that students can understand. Mr., or Professor, Burger is not that way at all. He has an approachable manner about him, and explains concepts very well. My 14 year old daughter was immediately thrilled to have an instructor who communicated the lessons so effectively.
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| Instructor Edward Burger |
This quickly became the curriculum that we, and more specifically, my 14 year old, has been searching for. What does she particularly appreciate about the teaching? During the video lessons, the screen is split so that you can not only see the instructor's face as he lectures, but also watch him as he works through problems on the whiteboard. One of the things that has always frustrated us in various programs is that the teacher will demonstrate a concept, but uses an easy problem. When the practice time comes around, the tricky and difficult questions are given, tripping us up. In this course however, both easy and difficult examples are provided, hurray! In addition, when the problems are automatically corrected as you answer, an explanation also is displayed with the answer, which is especially helpful when an answer is wrong. This constant review has been fantastic, and my daughter raves about this course. She actually worked through 12 lessons in the first 2 days of using Thinkwell.
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Notes are available to print if desired.
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Printable worksheets.
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The screen shows not only the instructor, but the work as he demonstrates the problems.
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At the end of my first paragraph I asked the question, "Did we like the program?" I answer with a resounding YES! My daughter has made it clear in no uncertain terms that Thinkwell is the Math course that she wants to use from now on. With the results that we've experienced this far, I'm in complete agreement. From a struggling Math student turned homeschool mom, try it and see for yourself.
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