Alebra I with Thinkwell (A Homeschool Review Crew Post)

I recently had the chance to review Algebra I, part of the High School Math from Thinkwell.  

I don’t know about you, but finding a math curriculum for my high school student has been a thorn in my side. And many years have passed since those heady days of College Algebra. I have forgotten more than I ever knew in the first place.

I have told this story before, but my College Algebra teacher was a Russian nuclear physicist. I had to pay more attention to be able to understand him (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). But he made it clear that “Americans make math too hard.” He told us we just needed to learn how to do it the easiest way and just do it. Such wisdom.

Thinkwell, I feel, has a similar approach. In fact, one of the first lessons talks about how Algebra transfers to the real world. 

Thinkwell is a self-paced online math program that offers 20 courses. They range from 6^th to 8^th grade, all the way up to High School math.

Before digging in, the student needs to take a Placement Test. It is free and will stick your student right where he or she needs to go.

For our review, we took a look at Algebra I.

My son has struggled in math. He needs it modeled in front of him. He needs to see it. We were so excited to see a real life face on the screen complete with a whiteboard explaining what in the math is going on.  After the video lecture given by Professor Edward Burger (no jumping around…we must do these things in order)…there are downloadable worksheets to accompany the lesson.

Following that lesson, the students are given a “Thinkwell Exercise.” This is basically a quiz with multiple-choice answers. We were able to print out the problems and work them on paper before answering the problem on the computer.

So here is another great part about Thinkwell. The video lessons are less than 5 minutes long. Yes siree! They are quick and to the point. We tend to get kind of squirrely in our house when the math lecture is too wordy and lengthy. I could have used Thinkwell with Josiah’s earlier math grades.

Another BIG plus for us is that Professor Burger is just plain awesome. He is engaging, easy to understand, and as entertaining with Algebra as one is inclined to be. He is not Russian...nor I think a Nuclear Physicist, but he is pretty smart. Keep in mind that there are different professors working their magic at Thinkwell. I am sure they are all just as awesome. 

Thinkwell is very well organized and easy to navigate.  You can check out Thinkwell by taking taking advantage of their 14-day FREE trial. Have your kiddo take the placement test and see what you think.

You can read more reviews by clicking the banner below.

Menu Math

When I was in 6th grade I was put in a Remedial Math class.

There were many possible reasons.

1. My 6th grade teacher had sleep apnea (or some sort of sleep disorder) and would frequently doze off during his lecture). I would take the opportunity to write out long rambling love notes to Ricky Schroeder.

2. I missed a few key concepts in early grades because I spent too much time daydreaming about unicorns, Ricky Schroeder and my twin sister who was secreted away to live in California with my Grandpa. By the Way...I don't have a twin sister...but my Grandpa did live in California.

3. I was not good at math. Though I seemed to just fine in college. I am still proud of that A in College Algebra. It could be that I had outgrown daydreaming about Ricky Schroeder.

Anyhoo. I was extremely embarrassed about being placed in Remedial Math, but it wound up being a really positive experience.

Primarily because of my teacher. She was somewhat of a celebrity in our little Ozark Mountain town. She had won big on The Price is Right. And surely anybody who had won big on The Price is Right had to know what she was talking about.

She made math real to us. We were required to pour over grocery lists and Piggly Wiggly ads. We had to set up household budgets and figure in percentages for sales and taxes.

My favorite, however, was when she would bring her huge collection of real life menus into class. She had been a little bit of everywhere and had gathered a variety of restaurant menus. To me it all finally made sense. No more abstract problems and formulas. I could actually see how it all worked.  

Of course, I had a few hiccups when learning algebra later on. The Piggly Wiggly ads didn't help with any of that. But I eventually did fine. I had a terrific Russian Nuclear Physicist in college as a teacher, but that's another story.

My experience with math has made me a bit twitchy. I remember introducing long division to some second graders and feeling faint. And some of Josiah's math issues have pert near driven me to a nervous breakdown.

So. I started my own little collection. Menus! Why not use what worked with me?

One of Josiah's favorite places to eat is Steak and Shake. We don't get there as often as he would like.

I've had him "order lunch." Figure in the tax and tip....all of it can be done with menus.

I've even given him a budget.

Andy's Frozen Custard is a Springfield, MO staple.

We've used the Take Out menu for all manner of math lessons.

My favorites are the seasonal Strawberry Shortcake Sundae (real shortcake, people)and the Ozark Turtle. Josiah has so much fun "ordering" and I can pretend I am indulging in something I can't have.

I can guarantee it's not the same.

I'm always looking for more real life math applications...Anybody else have one?

TOS Review: TouchMath

I have talked about our Math Woes before. They are many. Josiah is a bright and creative 11-year-old kid. He is also dyslexic and some of those challenges have carried over into Math. He has had difficulty retaining Math facts. His math education has been a frustrating experience for him.

You can imagine my reaction when I read these words in the TouchMath manual first thing. REACH AND TEACH ALL LEARNERS. Could it be?  Would TouchMath be the answer for Josiah's Math Trials and Tribulations? His success with reading has come through a multi-sensory approach, which is what TouchMath is all about.

We spent the next full month reviewing the TouchMath Second Grade Homeschool primarily as math remediation.

What We Received

 

4 downloadable units. Each unit consists of 6 modules. ($59.95 each or all 4 for $199.95)

Unit A -  adding and subtracting within 50
Unit B -  adding and subtracting within 100, place value and understanding multiplication.
Unit C -  adding and subtracting within 1000, with a review of multiplication.
Unit D - time, money, measurement, data and geometry.

I also received TouchMath Manipulatives.

TouchMath TutorSecond Grade Software ($99)

 

Student NumberCards ($24)

 

 

 

TouchNumerals withBase 10 ($99)

 

Second Grade FlipCards ($19/set, I received 12 sets)

How It Works (and How I Used It)

I invite all of you visual learners to take a look at the number below. Each numeral is assigned a pattern (using) dots that represent the concrete value of that number. I can tell you from personal experience with Josiah is that it is hard for some kids to grasp the abstract nature of numbers.

 

This is from the Teacher’s Manual.

“Students master each concept as they see it, say it, hear it, touch it, learn it.”

 

The whole purpose of TouchMath is to give every type of learner the tools to learn.  There is some of the lesson time that is spent learning the point placement of the dots before you get into the nitty gritty. I felt that this was appropriate. It didn’t take Josiah long to grasp the concept. It seemed to make perfect sense to him.

The downloadable units are really long. For example, Unit A is 239 pages. There is quite a bit of information, but the “meat” of the lessons are instructional strategies, student activity pages, etc. You can see how it all works with these sample activity pages. I felt that the activity pages were very suitable for Josiah. They were uncluttered and simple. There wasn’t an absorbent amount of work to be done on each page. Those are very important features for kiddos with math challenges.

Not sure what the "face" is for!

You can count on always finding the following features in each unit: Word Problems. (It is suggested that if your child cannot read the problems themselves, you assist them). Cross-curricular examples and Vocabulary.

The suggested time allotted for a typical lesson is 2-2 ½ times your child’s age. The lessons are scripted. I generally don’t use scripted lessons (I’m a bit impulsive), but I found TouchMath’s Script to be helpful when I needed to explain something just a bit differently. Some of the worksheets are meant to be completed with guidance from the teacher and then there is independent practice.

Looks like he's got it all worked out!

You are not required to purchase the manipulatives to use TouchMath, but I found them to be extremely helpful.

As I have mentioned, Josiah has trouble with the abstract concepts of math. Traditional flashcards have proved to be a waste of money and time. They are simple ineffective. The FlipCards, however, seemed to switch something on his head. They are laminated and he used a dry erase marker to record his answers. I’m telling you…he flipped through these like they were nothing. I was so proud of him. He was able to grasp that something that has eluded him throughout his elementary math learning.

 

We didn’t really utilize the Student Number Cards. He referred to them when first learning the point placement on the numbers.

The Second Grade Tutor CDs were a lot of fun and very effective. I was able to install them on both of our computers. A particular lesson starts and ends with a test so the teacher is able to track the progress. I was also able to go in and reset each lesson so he could practice over and over again. I could see progress each and every time.

The TouchNumerals with Base 10 were also effective. There are 3 sets of brightly colored 6-inch foam numerals 0-9, 205 TouchPoints and operation signs (also brightly colored and made of foam) and 10 Base Ten Trays. These made of plastic. The touch points are used as the 10 blocks and the base 10 trays can be closed. Very handy.

At first, I had to remind him that the numbers themselves were not a part of his current Starship building project. But he soon got the hang of it. He enjoyed creating his own math problems. I worried that he might find them too “babyish” but I was proven wrong. I think the kinesthetic nature of the TouchNumerals appealed to him. Keep in mind that these tools are not just for learning simple counting, addition and subtraction facts. They are also intended to be used for multiplication and division. I feel like we are now up to the challenge.

 

I can’t tell you enough how grateful I am to have this product in my home. I recognize that every child is a unique learner. For us, Touch Math has proved to be the right combination of methods to help Josiah. Simply putting a worksheet in front of him is not enough.  

TouchMath can be used as a stand-alone curriculum or as a supplement. For those of us who have kiddos that need a variety of learning experiences (other than the traditional lecture and worksheet route) I feel that TouchMath is well worth the investment. Josiah’s new found confidence in his Mathmatical abilities does this Mama’s heart good.

My fellow TOSreviewers also reviewed TouchMath’s Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1^st &2^nd Grade Homeschool programs. I suggest you go take a look.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.