I popped the Pre-Algebra Tutor DVD into my computer (this is a regular DVD and can be viewed with a DVD player on your TV, I just chose to watch on my laptop) and quickly realized this series is quite different than the preschool. If you've been reading my reviews for awhile, you'll know that I love all things bright and colorful. "Visually appealing" is my catch phrase and goes a long way with me.
This is none of those things. This DVD consists of a man, standing in front of a white board, lecturing. So obviously, I am not a fan of these DVD's, right? Well, actually, wrong. Sometimes I surprise myself and end up liking something completely foreign to my learning style and personality. It may be because I am not a natural math person, but I found myself understanding his lecture and refreshing my own understanding of the subject matter. It's not fun or flashy, but it does its job.
This is a 5 hour video tutorial where he explains and works through the concepts of Real Numbers, The Number Line, Greater Than/Less Than/Equal To/, Absolute Values and Adding Integers, Subtracting Integers, Multiplying Integers, Dividing Integers, Powers and Exponents, and Order of Operations. This is to be viewed by the student without working through lessons, so that they may have a familiarity when moving into their Pre-Algebra lessons. I like this idea, as it reduces the stress and fear some of us some of our students have when learning math.
The Texas Instruments TI-83/TI-84 Calculator Tutor works in much the same way, but you have a giant calculator on the screen with the lecture voice over. I do not own a calculator of this type and am really not a math person, so I did not spend a lot of time with this DVD. However, my 8 year old is math minded and my days without giant-calculators-that-need-a-tutor-to-know-how-to-use-them may be numbered. If you find yourself slightly lost in higher math calculator land, this one's for you.
The Pre-Algebra Tutor Volume 1 DVD and The Texas Instruments TI-83/TI-84 Calculator Tutor are available for $26.99 each. There are also many more options to choose from, if you need a little tutoring help in another area of math. Check out the clip below, for a better idea of what these DVD's are like and if they may work for you.
The Pre-Algebra:
1/2 *Disclosure: These DVD's were provided at no cost from Math Tutor, via the TOS Crew. For more reviews on this product and more, check out the Crew Site.*
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4 People Had Something to Say:
Glad I found your blog! I saw your blog button on another homeschoolblog! I am a homeschool mom too! I am always excited abouting meeting more homeschooler moms! I invite you to come visit & follow back if intersted! Enjoy the rest of your week! :)
Nicole
Hey, Lori - have you seen Math-U-See? I'm just wondering how the two compare, as MUS also has dvd lectures that go along with their books.
Nicole- Nice to "meet" you! I'll pop over in just a minute. :-D
Firefly Mom- We used MUS many years ago, when my oldest was 1st and 2nd grade. I liked it but it was too mom intensive once I had a houseful of kids. Math Tutor and MUS are not really comparable as Math Tutor is more of a supplement than a full curriculum. This would be good to add to a curriculum, to help the student have a better understanding heading into it. But it's not really a math curriculum.
Thanks, Lori! You answered my question perfectly. :)
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