MathandAlgebra.com: An Online Math Program Review

I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL 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.

A good teacher always makes the biggest difference in a child's success in a give subject.  In math, the quality of your teacher can make or break your understanding!  That's why finding curriculum and a program that works well for your student is vital to their success.  That's why being a part of the Review Crew is so valuable to me, because it has taught me both the needs of my children and the viable options available in the curriculum world.  For today's review, we are talking about MathandAlgebra.com, a program that serves as a teacher and curriculum support.  In all of the curriculum reviews I have done over the past 5 years, I've never encountered a program quite like this one!

What We Received:
We received a one year family subscription to MathandAlgebra.com that includes four complete math courses: Basic Math, Advanced Math, Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1.  

How It Works:
As a parent/admin I have a dashboard that lists all of my students with access to their progress within each course.  Each course contains multiple mini courses that provide video lessons, downloadable worksheets and a quiz. In the Basic Math Course there are topics like Whole Numbers, Fractions, Decimals, Geometry, etc.  Students are expected to watch each video with a blank page of paper and a pencil to follow along with the instructor.  Once they finish that video there is a worksheet for practice.  At the end of the topics several lessons there is a quiz and badges to be earned at every completion.  The unique aspect of this program absolutely comes down to the instructor, Richard Fisher's friendly speaking voice and clear teaching method.  And it's no wonder, because his teaching record is long and full of success!  His face is never shown (at least not in the lessons we saw), but the video shows problems being worked out in real time.  In the videos and the worksheets, he offers invaluable tips and guidance for the learners to really succeed.  

What We Thought:
When we first received access to this program, my 4th grader had just started fractions.  In MathandAlgebra.com, I started him in Basic Math, but skipped over the Whole Number section and began at Fractions.  He had some fraction understanding already, but had started to drag his feet with finding common denominators and simplifying.  After the first video lesson, he immediately wanted to do more! He understood the concepts well and it suddenly felt like we were talking the same math language.  

As an educated adult, I have learned how to do all kinds of math, but teaching it to my 9 year old boy in a way that he understands is an entirely different skill.  We have done alright, but as students get older, that gap between understanding a concept and clearly communicating that concept tends to get bigger.  Having a program like this on hand, especially as students head into middle school math, is a wonderful tool.  Since my husband is an engineer and well-quipped with math skills, he is a great back-up when I'm not getting a concept across.  This program is perfect for someone who needs back-up or doesn't feel capable to start with.  With the videos not terribly long, parent and student can sit down together to watch them and easily grasp concepts together.
Since my oldest is only in the 4th grade, you might be interested in some of the other reviews that look more in depth at  Pre-Algebra and Algebra.  Check out more reviews through the link below.