Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Aleks vs EPGY

Hi, kickball,

Here's my opinion based upon my DS's use of EPGY Grade 3 and Aleks Grade 3 and 4. FYI, he does NOT like math.

EPGY:

plus: very comprehensive; I was confident that he was getting everything and then some (although now that I think of it, can't remember what problem-solving was covered)

negative: (very, very) dry and very, very long. Not only that, but even if he knew something, he had to do all the exercises again and again and again (and again and again and again). Yes, the system would react and let him move on if he knew something, but he still had to add and input numbers from right to left and then left to right and then right to left, etc. Can't remember how many exercises there were, but over 1,000 (he's at 2,900 in EGPY LAW 3-6 - yikes!). [At least Aleks placed him in the middle or toward the end of every course - EPGY made him start from the beginning and do ALL the exercises - but maybe that was CTY's fault for not giving him any sort of placement test - Aleks has placement tests and places the children at the appropriate spot in the course]

Aleks: definitely subscribes to the theory that if you know it you can move on. He never did the extra problems. Could move on if he answered correctly three times in a row. When he started a new session, there would be a list of areas that might need more practice. He always skipped these, yet did very well on the assessments. No problem solving in 3rd or 4th grade math and I'd have to wonder how much he learned if he did 4th grade in less than two months, not working on it that often. It's nice that after the assessment, he moved on far ahead in the next grade (e.g., 3.6, 4.6), so that he wasn't starting again at 0.

On the negative side for my DS, no sound, no animation. Yet, it taught him to be independent. He definitely did it all on his own, which was a huge improvement. Also, taught him to be more careful in his transcription and typing b/c errors could bring him backward in his pie as well as forward.

He likes quicktables (basic arithmetic practice) b/c it can earn games.

My opinion: if the school allows it and your DD tolerates it, I think EPGY would be the better choice for a comprehensive curriculum. But check it out first. It's boring to listen to the same voice over and over while working in a monochromatic screen. Aleks was better formatted and easier visually. (This sort of stuff makes a difference to my DS) He definitely would NOT recommend EPGY. He absolutely HATED math after EPGY. Now he tolerates it.