Tapasnaturalles Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 (edited) http://www.ixl.com/ I can't seem to find anything about it in the search-function. Anyone familiar with IXL? It would help out a mother who is freaking out... a lot! ;) Thanks! Edited May 22, 2012 by Tapasnaturalles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 What kinds of things would you like know? I got the subscription through some discount with homeschool buyer co-op. Got it for my child on autism spectrum to have practice with computer. It's a lot of practice practice. I haven't found it to have instruction time before lesson. So I still have to be there to teach concepts either before ixl time or during the ixl time. I like the topics and range of lessons. Students can work at any level in the program, not just one grade level specific. -crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tress Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 :seeya: bumping for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tapasnaturalles Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Thanks! We're considering this as our math-method. I'm extremely in love with Singapore Math and it's very hard to give it up, but it's not working for our oldest. She likes the method, she's very good in math, but she hates books and anything schooly. We tried, but she feels bad, we feel bad and it's time to change things around. Other curricula will give the same problem, she needs something else and this is what we came up with. I need to get over the idea to trust a computer program with an important subject as math, so I'm searching around for some reviews. It seems to have everything they need to learn and I'm planning on complementing with workbooks and puzzlebooks etc... She even wants to keep CWP from Singapore Math. I think I just need to get over the idea of not using books. So hearing the good and bad things will be nice. For instructions (if she needs them, like I said, she's extremely good in math) I always can use MEP and sitting next to her is not a problem either, cause I have to do that now too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azucena Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 We have used it for practice of concepts that the children already know - but it will not teach new concepts. I think of it more as an add-on than as a curriculum in and of itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitofthewomb Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 We have used it for practice of concepts that the children already know - but it will not teach new concepts. I think of it more as an add-on than as a curriculum in and of itself. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tapasnaturalles Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 But with MEP (http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/primary/default.htm) as support, it will work, not? She doesn't really need lots of explanation. She just "sees" math, I don't know how to explain otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama2two Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 :iagree: I agree! My kids use it for extra practice. It's something for them to do for practice when I am working with one of the other kids. It doesn't have any instruction so don't see it working as stand alone math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mycalling Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 My search came up empty too, and I could obviously see this thread. Odd. IXL looks great! Does anyone know if you have to buy extra memberships for extra children if you don't care about the separate reports? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDad Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 We have tried IXL in the past. I personally do not like it and will not use it going forward. However, I can see how it might work for some families. It is definitely supplemental and not a full program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 (edited) double posted Edited May 22, 2012 by Pen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 We tried IXL, it can be helpful as an online practice and to work on speed, but as others have said, does not teach new materials. You can sign up additional children at less cost for the additional children. You can also do unlimited practice as "parent"--but they do not show when the Mastery level is reached, which takes away some from how it is supposed to work. Also, the part my son most did like was the part about checking his awards and certificates and so on, and those are only for the students not the parent practice. I was surprised a little icon of a something or other "won" would be that much of a big deal, but it was. I do not plan to be continuing with IXL when it expires, however. Have you heard of Khan Academy? I cannot access it via my rural area modem, but that might be a better fit to learn on-line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 We did it. Dd liked while it was novel. It was a lot of drill and kill to get some cute little digital awards. It wasn't worth it for a kid that likes to interact with people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tapasnaturalles Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 Look, I got 8 hours of math in highschool myself. I don't really think the no-instruction is a real problem here in those first years ;) I was quite a math-genius as a student, I think I can manage teaching a 7-8yo. ;) And like I said before, MEP will be used to. She just needs a different approach. She "sees" math/numbers/equations, she uses it all in her daily life, she draws it, dreams of it, speaks it to people who don't understand her... it's like it's her own secret language. I really can't explain it in another way. Learning it from books gets her irritated and she totally got demotivated. We really need another way here. She needs to be able to practice it without limits. So I guess trying this out a year or 2 won't kill her. It can only motivates her again. And together with MEP, it can work I guess. Lots of people thinks MEP is a good program as stand alone. We can get the information there, but practice it at IXL instead of in workbooks, I guess... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hope in God Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 We used IXL in the past. I didn't care for it because my kids would only choose the lessons (if you can call them lessons- maybe more like activities) that they already knew how to do so they gained very little new knowledge. I highly recommend Dreambox with Math Whizz. The Dreambox covers the conceptual and the Math Whizz covers the more traditional. Combined they are great. Math Whizz teaches a lot of mental math. I add only a bit of written math just to make sure that my kids do know how to work out problems on a piece of paper and they don't write the occasional number backwards. My younger kids are in grades 1 and 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 So I guess trying this out a year or 2 won't kill her. It can only motivates her again. And together with MEP, it can work I guess. Lots of people thinks MEP is a good program as stand alone. We can get the information there, but practice it at IXL instead of in workbooks, I guess... There is nothing wrong with IXL if you want it for the practice. But it is a lot of money to pay if your dc doesn't end up liking it. I got it for real cheap through a friend's school (like $7 for the year), so it was totally worth it to try it and find out that my dc who liked math found IXL boring. (She doesn't like worksheets, and IXL was just a digital worksheet to her.) But if you were paying full price for it . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDad Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 There is nothing wrong with IXL if you want it for the practice. But it is a lot of money to pay if your dc doesn't end up liking it. :iagree: If I were looking for extra practice, IXL would NOT be my choice for a high-ability kid. The problem sets are somewhat varied, but it is overwhelmingly a drill-and-kill program. IIRC, students are required to correctly answer 20 problems in a row before they have "mastered" a concept. And for every question they get wrong, they have to get an extra five or so right. This was very frustrating for both me and my kids. Oftentimes, they would be just one or two problems away from mastery, but then their finger would slip and they'd accidentally mistype something and BOOM they had to do five more problems. It was a computer grader so if they typed an answer like 80` it would be counted wrong because of the `.It was just disheartening all around. Of course, this is all JMHO; YMMV. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon37127 Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 We did IXL about 2 years ago. I loved it, both my lower and upper grammar kids loved it- but they love being on the computer, too. The record keeping for you is exceptional. As stated before, no instruction, but great practice. If you have to have something geared towards kids- this is it. But... I have recently discovered Khan Academy. I feel like it is a wonderful resource. Everything I loved about IXL, I get in Khan Academy FOR FREE. Also, Khan Academy doesn't specify grades at all. There is a bit of a learning curve to figure out how to get started and what to do "next." But I just set myself up as a student and played with for a few days- starting at the beginning (great practice to be ready to teach concepts to your student). Really, just try Khan Academy. It is is the same thing (to me). There are the videos directly linked to a problem if they run into trouble and they can step by step help on a problem. Also, depending on the ages you have- IXL is great for lower grammar, but starting in 2nd/3rd- Khan Academy is perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 (edited) Look, I got 8 hours of math in highschool myself. I don't really think the no-instruction is a real problem here in those first years ;) I was quite a math-genius as a student, I think I can manage teaching a 7-8yo. ;) And like I said before, MEP will be used to. She just needs a different approach. She "sees" math/numbers/equations, she uses it all in her daily life, she draws it, dreams of it, speaks it to people who don't understand her... it's like it's her own secret language. I really can't explain it in another way. Learning it from books gets her irritated and she totally got demotivated. We really need another way here. She needs to be able to practice it without limits. So I guess trying this out a year or 2 won't kill her. It can only motivates her again. And together with MEP, it can work I guess. Lots of people thinks MEP is a good program as stand alone. We can get the information there, but practice it at IXL instead of in workbooks, I guess... As far as instruction goes, I'd only be concerned about presenting it in a conceptual way and not simply presenting the procedure. But, you could always look at how Singapore or MEP presents the topic and teach that without using the book itself. As long as you're using the CWP in addition, I don't think there's anything wrong with your plan (sounds like a lot of extra work though). I know nothing about IXL. Other options: EPGY has an on-line program that includes instruction, though my understanding is that they have now eliminated the individual open enrollment program at the above link (even though the link appears to work), so that can only be done inexpensively through a group. We used a bit of EPGY at that age - I probably wouldn't use it as the sole program, but to tide you over for a while it would work. We don't do this much, but for on-line, straightforward practice, my kids like http://www.thatquiz.org/ If she might be interested in a comic-book approach (the textbook doesn't look at all school-ish), she may be at the perfect age to try Beast Academy. Also, there are frequently threads about fun resources for mathy kids on the accelerated board, such as this recent one. Edited May 24, 2012 by wapiti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 IXL is a supplement to your regular math program. It is just for practice and a good way to keep track of progress. My DC hate doing problems out of a textbook or worksheets. But don't mind IXL as much. You can check out the problems on the website. They let you do 20 per day... No recording of scores without subscription but you will get the idea of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tapasnaturalles Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 Thank you all. We did go for it and it's a succes these first days. We'll see what the future brings :) It was very nice to see all your comments, it helped us out a lot! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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