bmninada Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 (edited) This is my honest feedback about Redbird Maths: Adv. Ed. I am not connected to them in any way shape or form. Background: Relatively speaking - my 9 year old is okay to good in Maths. He's got good feedback from school and won here and there already few things. Tuition: Mainly by myself originally. However, due to workload, put him in Mathnasium, which he liked but not due to studies but the atmosphere. His base got better there. Later, I adopted Beast Academy and currently he's comfortable in 4B. In school, he's in accelerated maths and they are doing exponents and prime numbers (currently). Problem statement: His issue has always been the basic question (to me): why should I learn (for example) prime numbers? What's the use? Etc., etc. Also, he doesn't like repetition like his school makes him do - TenMarks and Jam sessions (for example). He'll however happily do study island as they are short and sweet. Main topic: Thus I was trying to find out more about the applied part of things. I took subscription of this online program costing me approx. $60 per quarter. Initially, the child is graded by self (parent) and I accidentally put him at grade 3 (Sept. just started, still not used to grade 4 - tying...LOL). He did 50-50 in the initial assessment! I was surprised at the low score. Then I reviewed the questions, etc and more on that: later, below, i.e. why he fared not well as he was stumped at the questions being rhetorical and applied knowledge was required! The course below is for grade 4. I had an option (as parent) to moving him to grade 4 which I did. Then, there's 1 more option whereby I can move him up even more and it goes to the middle of the course - Equivalent Fractions. When taking the individual package, it's not possible to pick and choose topics. Like I mentioned above, you go with grade or grade + .5. For me - this is a negative. Now, the structuring of questions - is rather good! I was pleasantly surprised when my son flew thru the 1st. part and then in multiplication and division started getting TONS of questions. I realized they are adaptive and not only that in between questions suddenly it'll go into a "hunt" mode and then next set is substantially different type than the ones before if my son is doing them quickly. Then, in 2 cases it just completed and moved on to the next topic after just 10 odd questions! I knew he is relatively strong in it. Quality of questions - this is what caused me to stop and really look into the program. Almost every question starts and continues with an applied thread. The material starts with a video - showing some use case. As an example - use case is a ranch and cows - what they eat and produce (manure). From that point on, all questions are tying into the ranch - in terms of XX lbs of manure generates YY kW of power and so how many more cows, less cows, etc., etc. My son is not only able to follow it but understand and appreciate a real-life use case associated with the problems! The complexity also varies. They also have short tutorials and then links talking about manure and ecology, etc. Rather - fantastic! Then what blew AND MY SON was at the end, there's a freaking project!! WTH? All he learned - now he can apply and on the same topic actually do a project applying the maths skills! Wow! From mundane work-sheets to jam sessions and now he's actually doing work like a mini-engineer? The project took him about 2 hrs. There are also games embedded and which I found to be surprisingly tough. My son loves these games - like pattern matching, block matching, puzzles, fuzzy logic, etc. I can't really reveal the questions as its proprietary I guess but as an example a common question is 5346. Ask: What's the smallest number I can get if I am asked to use these digits only once and use all of them? Pretty standard question. What they did was they said its ranches and in total there are 456 cows. Then - hurricane warning, etc. and finally the same question. My son loved it and then actually found a use case of it, in his crayon box!! Grade 4 Grade 5 Foundations in Base Ten* Read and Write Multi-Digit Numbers Place Value Relationships Compare Numbers Round Numbers Addition Subtraction Problem Solving with Addition and Subtraction Multiplication and Division Multiplication as Comparison Tape Diagrams and Multiplicative Comparison Find Missing Factors Factors and Multiples Investigate Remainders Extend Multiplication Concepts Multiply by 10, 100, and 1000 Estimate Products Use Area Diagram to Multiply by 1-Digit Number Use Distributive Property to Multiply by 1-Digit Number Use Area Diagram to Multiply by 2-Digit Number Use Distributive Property to Multiply by 2-Digit Number Multiplication in Problem Solving Extend Division Concepts Divide 10s, 100s, and 1000s Estimate Quotients Area Diagrams in Division Distributive Property in Division Zeros in Division Problem Solving with 1-Digit Divisors Problem Solving with Division and Other Operations Equivalent Fractions* Fractions: Compare Whole Numbers to Make New Numbers Compare Fractions with Models Compare and Order Fractions Multiply to Create Equivalent Fractions Divide to Create Equivalent Fractions Operations with Fractions Add Unit Fractions Add Fractions Subtract Fractions Mixed Numbers Improper Fractions Problem Solving with Fractions with Like Denominators Multiples of Unit Fractions Multiply a Fraction by a Whole Number Problem Solving with Fractions and Mixed Operations Decimal Fraction Concepts Decimal Fractions Add Decimal Fractions Write Fractions in Decimal Notation Compare Decimals in Tenths and Hundredths Whole Numbers: Place Value & Multiplication* Place Value and Exponents Multiply by 1-Digit Factors Multiply by 2-Digit Factors Use Algorithms with 1-Digit Factors Use Algorithms with 2-Digit Factors Whole Numbers: Division Use Multiplication to Estimate Quotients Use Rounding to Estimate Quotients Use Repeated Subtraction and Multiples of 10 Use Models with 2-Digit Divisors Methods for Division Problem Solving with Division Decimals: Place Value and Operations* Decimal Place Value Round Decimals Compare Decimals Add and Subtract Decimals Multiply and Divide Tenths and Hundredths Multiply Decimals Divide Decimals Problem Solving with Decimal Operations Fractions: Addition and Subtraction Equivalent Forms Find Common Denominators Using Models Find Common Denominators Add and Subtract Fractions and Mixed Numbers Using Models Add and Subtract Fractions and Mixed Numbers Estimate Sums and Differences Problem Solving with Addition and Subtraction of Fractions Fractions: Multiplication and Division Inverse Operations Multiply Fractions Using Bar Models Multiply Fractions Using a Number Line Multiply Fractions Using an Area Diagram Scale Divide Whole Numbers by Unit Fractions Divide Unit Fractions by Whole Numbers Problem Solving with Multiplication and Division of Fractions Coordinate Graphs Coordinate Plane Ordered Pairs Connecting Points in the Plane Use the Coordinate Plane Volume: Right Rectangular Prisms Unit Cubes Determine Volume Using Cubes Examine Layers, Rows, and Columns Explore Nets Volume Formulas Problem Solving with Volume * They have a tuition based program also - it's $455 per quarter and there flexibility with course selection, etc. is there. I only wish I was allowed to pick and choose topics, then this would have been, for me a killer program. * Supposedly, they have won numerous awards and recognition. From my end I am really liking the program, it's structuring, flow of questions (adaptability), the applied part of it and finally the games. Link: https://giftedandtalented.com Edited October 17, 2017 by bmninada 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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