Now that it’s almost summer, it is the perfect time to check out a program from A+ Interactive Math (by A+ TutorSoft Inc.) that is called “Adaptive Math Curriculum Online“.
This program is designed to help fill learning gaps your child may have in math.
Adaptive Math Overview
The Adaptive Math program provides a skill-based learning model to help your child succeed in math. It includes grades 1 through 6, plus pre-algebra.
The first thing the student does when she starts this program is to take placement tests. There are mini tests for each major math topic. When the student is taking the test, the questions are automatically adjusted to the correct difficulty level based on the answers she has given so far.
When she is done with the test, it gives you a report as to what grade level the student is at for that particular topic (decimals, addition, subtraction, etc.).
The tests can be a bit overwhelming because there are so many of them. I would suggest just taking one or two at a time. This is what we did and it really helps to break it up. My kids took two tests and then just started in on the lessons for those topics (if necessary).
After the test, the program gives your child a lesson plan based on the results of the test. It also tells you what grade level your child’s skill level is for that topic.
Once your student has gone through the entire lesson plan for that topic, he can retake the test to see if he is at the current (or higher) grade level.
What my kids and I have to say
My son who is in 8th grade and my daughter who is in 4th grade used this program. Neither of them are huge fans of math. I would love to say this turned them into math lovers, but that’s not the case. That being said, they didn’t hate the program, which is huge for them!
I asked my son about the program and he said, “I like it.” Typical boy answer. I asked if he could please elaborate so that my readers could get a better idea of the program. The following is what he had to say… we may have a future reviewer on our hands. I think he did pretty well!
“I like that if I get a question wrong, it explains how to get the questions right. And even if I get it correct, there is a button in the corner that says “view solution” that tells me what the answer is and how to get that answer. And, I don’t like that I have to listen to the narrator during the Question and Answer part. It won’t let me answer the question until the narrator is finished reading it. In the worksheet area, there is no narrator. I just read it myself. I like that better. Overall, I like it better than most of the math programs I have used.”
My daughter was much more negative in her “review”.
“I do not like that it tells us why we got the question wrong. I don’t like that they have so many tests, because they take too much time. I think I would like it better if I didn’t have to wait to answer the question. {And not have to wait for the narrator to finish.} I like the frog that is in some of the lessons.”
Now, just to be clear… I’m not sure my daughter would EVER have a positive review of a math program. I included her words anyway, though, because it still gives a picture of how a 4th grader that doesn’t like math views the program. She definitely doesn’t hate this program. She never complains when it’s time to do her math. And, I see improvement in her skills. So, from my perspective, that’s a good thing. She would just prefer her math only take her 5 minutes, which isn’t realistic. :)
Final Thoughts
My kids will continue to use this program through the end of the school year. I also will have them use it during the summer to keep their minds sharp and help them prepare for the coming school year.
I like that the program is a bit intuitive and can adjust the questions on the tests based on how well the student does on the previous questions.
One thing I don’t like is that when the student is in the lesson plan area of the website, all of the lessons are there, including the ones they have already completed. So, the student has to remember which lesson they are on the next time they go to do their math. I think it is probably done that way so they can redo lessons if they want to, but maybe they could just make the text different colors or something? That way they would be able to easily tell what part of the lesson they are on. It’s not a make or break scenario, but it is something my kids and I would like to see changed.
Overall, though, we like this program and will definitely continue to use it.
I reviewed this program as a part of the Homeschool Review Crew. Other crew members reviewed their Family Math Package, which is just their regular full math curriculum. Click the banner below to read those reviews if you are interested.
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