I think it's important when you're using programs like ALEKS to have a clear understanding of what you're trying to accomplish with them - so it might help us answer if you explained what your idea is in using ALEKS or another math program.
I suspect that what you are seeing from your description is that your dds already either knew or had been exposed to the topics at the grade level they were working in ALEKS. ALEKS doesn't really "teach" anything at all - a child is given an assessment at the beginning of the grade level, they are left with a set of modules they will need to master to finish that grade level, based on which questions they did not answer correctly on the assessment. The assessment is only asking one of each type of problem, so they could for instance make a silly mistake, a careless mistake, or perhaps just not remember how to do something and miss it on the assessment, and they will then have that concept included in the list of what they need to learn. After the assessment, they select modules to "work on" to master. If they get three answers in a row correct during their work session, they've mastered that module. So if it's a concept they've already been exposed to, they'll most likely automatically complete it right away. If it's a relatively easy concept (lower level courses) or a concept they've already been taught but forgotten or not truly mastered in school, they can read the online explanation and then do the problems while the concept is fresh in their minds - and that will again be considered "mastered" - for the time being.
What ALEKS does if you are using it over time is to every so often throw in another assessment which includes topics already "mastered" (within the same course). If the student misses the question (which might happen because it didn't really "stick" the first time around) - then that topic is re-activated in their "pie" and they have to show mastery again before moving on.
I agree with DeeDee that if you really want to teach math in a meaningful way to your children that Singapore or another curriculum would be a better way to go - but I'd also suggest that before you buy a set of books or curriculum etc, you do a bit more playing around with ALEKS. Sit with your dds while they are working in it and see if you get a feel for - have they seen the material before? Are they truly picking up new concepts quickly? Things like that. Also move them up to a higher grade level in ALEKS. For instance, (and this is just a total hypothetical because I don't remember what grade your dds are in) - if they are in 4th grade at school, and you'd had them set on 5th grade level math in ALEKS, have them take the next-level-up assessment. If they score around 70-80% on the assessment, move up them up to the next course level and take that initial assessment etc.
We have used ALEKS with each of our children, but we didn't use it as a replacement for an actual course at school - instead we used it as a way for them to learn concepts that allowed them to be placed where they needed to be in math classes at school. That probably sounds like the same two things, but there's a subtle difference between the two. And yes, my kids did retain things they learned in ALEKS, but I'm also a math nerd myself and when the kids ran into a concept they didn't understand I helped them with it - none of my kids liked learning concepts by reading the ALEKS explanations.
Hope that makes sense!
polarbear
ps - eta - I said above "we used ALEKS as a way for our kids to learn concepts that allowed them to be placed where they needed to be in math classes in school" - I should have added that we also used it as "proof" that they knew specific concepts that allowed them to be placed in higher level math courses. So for us it was a combo of fill the gaps + show that there weren't gaps... I found the reports that tied state curriculum goals to topics mastered in ALEKS were really helpful in advocating at school for proper placement.
Last edited by polarbear; 05/18/14 02:27 PM.
