Adaptive Math Curriculum Online (A Homeschool Crew Review)

I'm not a math person.  Throw science or literature at me and I'm happy but math was always the bane of my existence in school.  Unfortunately, things haven't changed much for me and unfortunately, this means that I might not be the best at teaching math to my kids.  Sure, I teach the curriculum but I'm not the best to judge whether or not I'm teaching them in such a way that they understand or if we've missed something that maybe should have been covered but wasn't.

For the past few weeks, I've had the opportunity to review the Adaptive Math Curriculum Online from A+ Interactive Math (by A+ TutorSoft Inc.).  By quickly identifying and then eliminating the gaps that students may have with their math knowledge, this program seems to have been designed for math haters like myself who need that extra piece of mind to know that our kids are getting the best math foundation possible.

What Is it?

Adaptive Math Curriculum Online is a one-year subscription that is designed to identify gaps in your student's math knowledge and then automatically creates an individual lesson plan with videos and online worksheets to help fill those gaps.  This is accomplished by first selecting the students targeted grade level.  The program then gives the student an assessment quiz based on that targeted grade level, with questions progressively getting harder as they answer each question correctly.  The results of this assessment quiz then allows for the program to create a lesson plan based on what material proved difficult for the student to answer.  This program is geared for students Grades 1st through 6th, as well as for Pre-Algebra and can be purchased as either a single student subscription or a family subscription for up to 10 students.

How We Used It

Both Garrett and Ashleigh are considered 4th Grade and that was the targeted grade that I placed them both in.  For the 4th Grade level, there are 17 different math concepts that were available.  For each of these concepts, the student starts by taking the assessment test for that skill.  The 17 categories for 4th Grade are:

Number Sense
Addition
Subtraction
Multiplication
Division
Rounding and Estimating
Decimal Numbers
Fractions
The Number Line & Number Comparison
Graphs
Time
Money
Measurements
Geometry
Elementary Algebra
Probability and Statistics
Word Problems

Out of the gate, we realized that Ashleigh and Garrett had some gaps in their learning.  While they are doing great with mathematical functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, there were some things that I honestly thought they knew.  When they both took the assessment test, I realized that neither of them knew simple things such as ordinal vs cardinal numbers.  Both kids ended up using the program as a refresher course to relearn and get a true understanding of these forgotten concepts.

When students take these assessment tests, they are given a time limit for the test (if I remember correctly, it was 30 minutes).  However, tests may or may not last that long.  The first time the kids took the assessment for number sense, they were finished within about 3 minutes, long enough for the program to recognize where they needed to start reviewing.

Lessons are selected from the expandable menu on the left-hand side of the screen.  This will bring the student to video/audio lesson that teaches the selected concept.  After viewing the lesson, students can either test themselves on the concept with the Interactive Q&A section which gives the student on average 10 questions about the concept or if they are still unsure of the concept, they can choose to rewatch the video.

Also available for additional practice are Interactive Worksheets for each lesson.  These are multiple choice questions that focus on the material taught in the lesson.  These make for great practice to help students get prepared for retaking the assessment after they complete the lessons. 

Following completion of all the lessons in the section, the student can then take the assessment test.  The goal is for the student to be able to take the assessment on the concept and reach the "Goal" line.

Ashleigh's Original Assessment

The assessment placement test can be taken as many times as necessary for the students to pass and move on to the next concept.   The program will tell the student when they have completed enough to complete the goal and that concept will be removed from the expandable menu on the student's dashboard, allowing them to focus on the next concept.  

Much Better Performance

As a homeschool parent, this program can be somewhat discouraging, especially when you realize that it's simple concepts that either weren't learned or just weren't taught.  On the other side of that coin, it's reassuring that this program can find those weaknesses and help the student learn those concepts where I have failed.   It's a great program and works well to accomplish what it's designed to do - find those gaps and fill them in. 

For more information about the Adaptive Math Curriculum Online as well as the Family Math Package offered by A+ Interactive Math, be sure to click the banner below to read other Crew member's reviews.  You can also find more information by visiting their website or their social media sites.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APlusTutorSoft
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/aplustutorsoft   
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/aplustutorsoft

CTC Math (A Schoolhouse Crew Review)

It's not a secret that the one subject we struggle with is mathematics.  We've tried many various math curriculum with mixed results - some worked out good, others just were not a proper fit for my kids. Last year, however, we were given the opportunity to review CTCMath.  This was one of the better fits for our family and I honestly feel that it was a huge factor in my oldest daughter passing her high school math course that she had been struggling with.  When we were given another opportunity to review the one year subscription of CTCMath Homeschool Membership, I was pretty thrilled.  We were given access to the program for up to 10 students. 

CTCMath is an online math curriculum that covers all math concepts, from Kindergarten all the way to higher level mathematics such as Trigonometry and Calculus through more than 1,367 animated and narrated video lessons. These math concepts are not aligned with common core as CTCMath believes in teaching math the traditional way.  Each student has access to all grades of math as part of the subscription and can easily switch between the various levels with little trouble. This proves to be very useful for older high school students who might be learning concepts that are both Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 during the same year. You can also easily jump students from grade to grade rather than having to buy a separate grade level for more advanced lessons. 

For grades Kindergarten to 8th grade, CTCMath can be used as a full mathematics curriculum. For high school math, CTCMath recommends that their website be used more as a supplement in addition to another math curriculum. 

The program is completely browser based and requires no computer instillation. I ran it  Chrome without any problems or glitches.  In the past, I was also able to log into the program with my Kindle Fire without any problems.  CTCMath's website says it should run on all HTML5 platforms such as Ipads, Iphones and Android devices, making it convenient for lessons on the go, such as in a doctors office or while riding in a car..

Since the last time I reviewed the program, there have been many changes made to the website. First, the overly colorful menu is gone and has been replaced with a very clean, more institutional looking white/grey screen. While the lessons still consist of the videos followed by answering questions, I did find the new formatting to be much easier to navigate (although, to be honest, the old format was easy to navigate as well). Also, a major addition was the ability for the parent to add Tasks for the student to work on.  These tasks, once scheduled, would show up on a tab at the top of the student's worksite.  While I personally did not use this feature during our review as I typically sit with the kids while they are on the computer, I can see how it would be very helpful for students who can work independently but still need some direction. 

  

In all grades, students are presented with a video lecture that shows the concept for that particular lesson. These videos are very short, on average less than 5 minutes. Examples are given along with very detailed breakdown of the answers. In lower grades, the lesson is followed by a series of questions (around 10 to 12 questions) that reinforces what they just learned.  Extra questions are provided as an option if the child did not do well on the initial questions and might need extra review. Feedback is immediate as the answer will be marked right or wrong and the correct answer is given. After all questions are complete, a printable copy of the questions along with the child's answers is provided which can be printed out for record keeping (something I think is great).  There is a bank of more than 57,000 interactive questions throughout all the grade levels. 

In higher grades, after the video lecture, the student is provided with a worksheet that they can print out and work offline. Once completed, they can record their answers in the website and have their answers graded. By default, the student must score a certain percentage in order to obtain a passing grade on these worksheets or they are told to try again. 

The last time we reviewed CTCMath, we used it strictly as our math curriculum using the 1st and 2nd grade levels.  This time around, as we were already established in another math curriculum that the children were both doing well with, we decided to use CTCMath as a suppliment to reinforce what they were learning with the other program.  This worked out really well for us, especially for Garrett.

For example, one of the hardships with Garrett's autism is that he struggles with math concepts that are not exact - most notably with rounding numbers.  Try as we might, no matter how many times we explained and reexplained and reviewed, Garrett just could not wrap his mind around the concept of rounding.  To him, it goes against the exactness of math. 

Luckily, there was plenty of material on rounding numbers on the CTCMath program.  I sat down with Garrett and together we watched the video lesson and then Garrett did the practice questions.  To my surprise, he got all but one correct.  The next day, we again watched the video and again he did the practice questions - this time he got them all right. The ability to switch between the various grade levels was helpful, as a few of the rounding lessons were considered 2nd grade and a few were considered 3rd.   Since then, he has not struggled with rounding at all.  The way it was presented in the video was perfect for him and allowed him to easily understand the concept where I had failed.  

As they proceed through the program, students are graded as either Platinum, Gold and Silver based on their average grade from all tasks in each set of lessons. Platinum is awarded when a student gets 100% for the entire set. 

One of the many pluses to CTCMath is that tracking your child's progress is very easy. CTCMath sends progress reports to the parents email on a weekly basis letting you know how many times the student logged in, for how long, what they did while they were logged in and how they did on what they worked on, This same information can also be accessed from the Parent account which gives quick access to all students currently enrolled in the program. From the parent login, you can download these reports as a PDF file for your records. 

CTCMath is a product I can honestly recommend.  In the time that we have used it, it has helped not one but two of my students understand math concepts that otherwise would have been lost. 

For more information about CTCMath, visit their website or any of the following social media sites:

CTCMath (US and Canda)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ctcmath?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ctcmathofficial

Periscope: https://www.periscope.tv/ctcmathofficial

Pinterest: https://au.pinterest.com/ctcmath/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWn5e6974bpIEAe46VnovZw

Maths Online (Australia Only)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsonline.com.au

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MathsOnlineAU

Super Teacher Worksheets (A Schoolhouse Crew Review)

As any homeschooling family, I'm always on the lookout for a quick, fun activity for the kids do in in conjunction with their normal curriculum.  Worksheets are usually one of my favorites as they are quick and easy to print out and give to the kids to work on independently.   Worksheets are a great was for us to review what we've already done or help to reinforce newly presented materials that they might not quite have grasped without extra help.  However, it's a daunting task to scour the internet trying to find a last minute worksheet to add to the day's lessons, even more frustrating when that perfect worksheet will cost you a few dollars for one handout. Because of this, when I was given the opportunity to review the Individual Membership for Super Teacher Worksheets, I was pretty excited.

Super Teacher Worksheets is an all in one website that allows unlimited access to over 10,000 various worksheets, activities and classroom games available for download that range from various subjects and grade levels. Worksheets range from math, reading and writing, phonics and early literacy, science, social studies and more.  A search option allows you to search the catalog for specific topics (as well as by ccss standards) which comes in handy.  Also available is a worksheet generator which allows you to make your own word find, math practice, spelling lists, flashcards, quizzes and more.  This really opens up the possibilities to produce tools to help with any topic or subject you are working on.

Another option available is the "File Cabinet" option where you can save worksheets that you know

you can use at a later time.  For me personally, this was a wonderful option because I'm the type who sees a worksheet that I think the kids would like, however we're just not ready for it at the current time and then I almost always forget where it was.  With the file cabinet, I can save those worksheets and frequently return to view them to remind myself what I saved and decide if we can use them at that time.


How Did We Use It? What I Thought?

The best way to use Super Teacher Worksheets is to jump right in and start printing.  There is so much offered that it's very easy to find something that will fit in with your current curriculum.  For us, extra math practice is always needed and so I printed out a few addition and subtraction facts sheets.  Since my youngest loves to color, I knew that one of the "Color by Addition" sheets would be a perfect start for us.  At first, my kids were a bit overwhelmed by the amount of math on the page but they were quickly able to use skills they had learned to help solve each equation and then color the picture.

Both kids, including Garrett who does not typically like to color, has enjoyed the Color by Math additions offered on the website and have asked multiple times if we are doing a new one each day.  This means that the kids are actually ASKING to do math, something that is unheard of in this household.

We've also enjoyed using the worksheets that are designed to go along with chapter books. First we used some of the worksheets to go along with The Magic Treehouse book we were reading. Now  we're currently reading "Stone Fox" by John Reynolds Gardiner and I was thrilled to have found worksheets to go along with it in addition of the unit study we are working with.  Already in my File Folder I have worksheets waiting to go along with "The Phantom Tollbooth" and "Because of Winn-Dixie".  I really like that the worksheets for the chapter books not only contain quick comprehension questions but also vocabulary building exercises.

I also really liked that these worksheets allowed me to sneak in more writing practice for the kids.  Each activity is well thought out ahead of time and so far I have yet to find any grammatical errors on any of the sheets that we have printed out and used.  The worksheets are all very professional looking as well as being clear and concise as to what is to be expected in the activity.

Overall, we have really enjoyed using various offerings at Super Teacher Worksheets and the fact that more activities are being added on a regular basis means there will always be something new to use with your kids, regardless of subject or grade level.  There's also many worksheets geared for various holidays and even a back to school section. It's been extremely easy for me to find something to fit into our daily work.

The individual membership is available at a price of $19.95/year which is very reasonable for what your getting and considering many other sites to download worksheets charge anywhere from $1 to $3 per worksheet.


Super Teacher Worksheet can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Their website is located at https://www.superteacherworksheets.com.