We homeschool. DS8 has been using Teaching Textbooks for the past year. He started with their Math7 last year, and has been working through their Alg I course since late autumn of this year.
Recently, we discovered some things about the program that we don't like. Namely, that when DS gets problems wrong, there isn't a way for him to get more practice. TT explains the solution for the incorrect problem(s) and then moves on. However, I expect mastery of skills, and I'd like to ensure this by having him do similar problems if he gets one wrong--enough times to ensure that he has mastered the concept. Am I making sense?
So...I did some research into other math curricula. Since I'm not a big math person, I want to continue in the same vein as TT in that whatever we pick should be largely self-teaching-friendly. It's also what DS likes for math.
I found the Aleks site and showed it to DS. He used up the complete 3 hour free trial in one sitting, and he loved being able to try to fill up pieces of his "pie." He asked to do it again today, so I bought a one month membership. [Of course, after I did this, I found out there is a one-month free trial for homeschoolers. *grrr*] He spent over an hour on the site today and was really enjoying himself.
My questions are:
* how is Aleks as a standalone math program?
* do you feel it is rigorous?
* what are the weaknesses of the program?
I'd love to hear any and all feedback about Aleks, but especially from the point of view of a homeschooler using it for Algebra and beyond.
Thank you!
t
