<p>My neighbor's kid was out riding his ATV earlier this week and ran into a fence line. Flipped himself off the ATV. He broke an ankle and severely strained the muscles in his other leg. He will be fine, but he is out of commission for the next six weeks or so. He has decided he wants to take an online algebra class in prep for next year ( he is a raising freshman). he doesn't care about credit or anything, he just thinks he wants to give it a try and maybe get a little bit ahead for the fall. He has always done well in math, but not a superstar.</p>
<p>Anybody have any recommendations? He may or may not finish the course, depending on how he feels, etc. This is just a thought that he had looking at six weeks of downtime.</p>
<p>I think it is a great use of time. If it were one of mind, he would be playing computer games and blitzing his mind out with those, dumb tv shows, computer and cell phone amusements. I give the kid a big thumb's up.</p>
<p>I think Aleks dot com would be fantastic for this situation. My son used Aleks for essentially all of his high school math as a
homeschooler. Aleks is a superb, beautifully implemented, fantastic
example of an... automated workbook. It lacks beauty and joy of math,
but is fantastic at what it does:
- explains how to do each topic,
- keeps track of what the student knows and doesn't know,
- doesn't teach what the student already knows,
- allows the student to choose from several topics to work on,
- is almost entirely word problems, so there's no multiple choice guessing and the problems are somewhat in context, and
- has occasional assessments to make sure the student retains the information.</p>
<p>Apparently many schools use Aleks as their math-teaching method, and as their incoming student assessment method, but I'm not sure about this. It is inexpensive - $20 / month with no contract - and offers a free trial (only a few hours).</p>
<p>The assessments of knowledge are the heart of this wonderful system.
It determines what the student a) knows, b) is ready to learn, and c)
isn't ready to learn yet. If it determines that you know something, it
doesn't make you repeat the topic, but only teaches what you don't
know. It gives the student the choice of several topics that can be
learned at any moment, yet keeps track of the entire body of
knowledge.</p>
<p>This is not a program that grants credit, but a product for working
independently that is more dynamic and interactive than working your
way through a printed textbook. It will make lovely printable copies
of assessments that the school can use if they are so inclined.</p>
<p>I agree with using the ALEKS programs - constructive use of time that will complement, not compete, with what he will learn in school. My daughter's school used it for all students with algebraI and found it beneficial for both strong and weak students.</p>
