So when I saw my name on the list for ALEKS, I couldn't wait to get started. Unfortunately, it didn't work out very well. The company was wonderful to work with to get things set up and the website is set up very well. The problem is the learning styles of my children. Not a one of them enjoyed or even liked getting on the computer to do math. They prefer to do lessons in an order that is already set and did not like choosing for themselves. I thought that that's the part they would like the most!
That being said, ALEKS is a great program, it just didn't work for us.
Here is what the website says about their program:
"Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces is a Web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning system. ALEKS uses adaptive questioning to quickly and accurately determine exactly what a student knows and doesn't know in a course. ALEKS then instructs the student on the topics she is most ready to learn. As a student works through a course, ALEKS periodically reassesses the student to ensure that topics learned are also retained. ALEKS courses are very complete in their topic coverage and ALEKS avoids multiple-choice questions. A student who shows a high level of mastery of an ALEKS course will be successful in the actual course she is taking.
ALEKS also provides the advantages of one-on-one instruction, 24/7, from virtually any Web-based computer for a fraction of the cost of a human tutor."
ALEKS starts at 3rd grade and goes all the way up through Trigonometry. This page lists all the courses available. Each level has its own testing to determine the students knowledge and the course is then based on what they know or don't know. A pie chart is displayed to show the student the areas in that level and what their evaluation scores were. Each piece of the graph is clickable and has options for the student to choose from. This program offers flexibility for the student in choosing which topics they want to learn that day. So if the student is getting frustrated with one area, they can choose another area to work on. The Elementary levels also have QuickTables to assist in the learning of addition, multiplication, division, and subtraction facts.
If you would like more information, head over and take a tour to see this program in action. Purchasing an ALEKS subscription allows your child to access the full course library, however only one course may be taken at a time.
The prices for a subscription are:
A subscription to ALEKS is
- $19.95 per student, per month, or
- only $99.95 every 6 months, or
- only $179.95 every 12 months.
When you subscribe, we will create two ALEKS accounts:
- A Student Account: This is the account your child will use to access the ALEKS Student Module which includes assessment and learning features.
- A Master Account: With this account, you can monitor your child's progress through automated reports, assign quizzes, manage student accounts, and much more.
This was very helpful to me since there were three different children using the program at one time. It was easy to log in to the Master Account and check on their progress.
There is just so much this program offers that you really have to check it out for yourself. Please don't just take our word for it, it might be a perfect fit for your student. For more reviews from families that had a great experience and loved ALEKS, head on over to The Crew blog and check them out.
ALEKS is offering a 1 month Free trial to Homeschoolers who have never used ALEKS before! Can you believe it? If you think this program sounds like something your student would like, this is the perfect opportunity to try it out. Follow the link and set up your trial membership to get started.
**As always, this review was possible because I received a free trial membership through The TOS Crew in exchange for my honest opinion.
3 comments:
I really like ALEKS and used it for two years. My oldest especially hates math, but did OK with this program. However we switched to Teaching Textbooks, which works better for us, for two reasons. One, instead of just giving you a screen with the concept that you have to read, TT actually talks you through the concept step-by-step. Two, the answers are also talked through step-by-step. My daughter and I both found the solutions on ALEKS to be somewhat difficult to understand, since they are just posted on the screen, without the progression or explanation of the solution process. I feel that TT takes a similar concept to ALEKS but does it a bit better.
I appreciate the honest review of how it worked for your family. I admit I am always suspect of a great review when the program is being tested for free just for the purpose of reviewing.
I have a friend who has long raved about ALEKS. Her kids are math whizzes, but they were that way before using the program. While I don't think it would work at my house for a few reasons, it is a great fit for others (and I don't mean just those with kids who are good at math).
We LOVE ALEKS!!! :-)
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