A couple of months ago, I was introduced to the website www.kahnacademy.com through another website that I follow. We have only used it a couple of times because we are actually in the process of "reviewing" another online math curriculum. However, tonight on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, the maker/creator of Khan Academy was featured in the Education Nation portion of the show.
When the clip came on, the kids said, "Hey...it is Khan Academy...we have that!" I listened to the remainder of the interview/news clip and was reminded of why I was so drawn to the website in the first place. The Khan Academy is a great site for just good old math basics practice. The site has educational videos that correspond and help teach the various math concepts. I must admit that I have not used the video clips as of yet, but I am looking forward to seeing just what they offer in the very near future.
On the website, the Khan Academy has a video portion and also a practice portion. In the practice portion, the student works his/her way through a maze of math topics on various levels. If the student is struggling with the concept or needs to be instructed on the idea, there are videos located on that webpage (at the top of the practice area) that the student can click on to be shown how to work those particular types of problems. As one level is mastered, the next level is opened for practice. The student is give a choice of a 2-3 suggested areas of study, and they choose what they would like to learn and click into the lesson. They are taken through a series of problems on that designated topic. The student is then required to master the topic by getting 10 problems in a row correct. At that point, they are allowed to move on.
Throughout the lesson, the student is earning points and "badges" that pop up on the screen at various times. There are badges for "speed," "answering 12 problems," "going transient," etc. You can then click into your point area to see how you are doing and see how many badges you have earned. The student can also see what he/she has mastered and what they have yet to master. Even I have had a lot of fun with the website. I have been working my way through the math progression ladder myself. I decided go through the site on my own that way I would be able to see exactly what my children would be using with the site. Also, it is fun to be able to see how quickly I can answer the questions and get through the topics.
I will say that I am very impressed with what this site has to offer. It is a wonderful tool for any parent - home schoolers and public schoolers alike. Probably the greatest part of all is that it is absolutely FREE! So, check it out and see if this is a program that could work for you.
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