You may be asking yourself, “What’s Aleks?” It is a real option for homeschooling families who need assistance tackling math or want to build solid foundation. One of the most asked questions I have had over the years is about math curriculum. Due to so many questions on curriculum and math specifically I want to offer some great options. Here is a brief explanation from the site:
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. ALEKS can provide you with the instruction and support that you need to homeschool your children in mathematics for grades 3-12. ALEKS offers highly-targeted, individualized instruction from virtually any computer with Internet access, making it a comprehensive and mobile education solution for your children.
Let me start off by saying I have never liked online curriculum. I also do not own a Kindle. I’m old school and enjoy having a textbook or book. However, I approached this with an open mind since the wave of the future is online learning/online curriculum. In addition, my 10 year old son prefers doing school online as much as possible. Yet, I remain the skeptic wondering if online learning could actually serve as well as your old school textbook curriculum. I feared it would be games and fun with not solid learning.
Allow me to alleviate those fears if you share the same concerns I had. ALEKS is a solid curriculum which allows mastery of topics and a true individualized lesson plan. I dare say it is more flexible and effective than a textbook which cannot tailor itself to your child. In addition, there are quizzes and pie charts! This means you can be confident in knowing where your child stands with reference to his math knowledge. ALEKS does offer games but this is separate from work. ALEKS continually challenges students to master the material and prepares them adequately for the next level. If you student is struggling with a topic ALEKS will address this concern. If your student is advanced in math, ALEKS will again address this issue.
I used this curriculum for my 5th and 7th grader. My 7th grader dislikes online curriculum. She complains it is too much like games and entertainment than learning. Yeah, she is an old woman in a child’s body. However, she was not disappointed with ALEKS. She enjoyed that approach, format and solid teaching. My son enjoys online curriculum and ALEKS was no exception.
ALEKS is a real choice for today’s homeschooling parents teaching math on all levels.