One part of being on the crew that I have loved throughout the years – is how we’ll come up with a need, and then the resource to meet that need will be on the vendor list for the next month.   Such was the case with A+ Interactive Math.  My 14 year old son, Jon, may need to take a standardized test before August 15th to play sports next year. By Oregon Law, he’s not due until August 2016. Some say he doesn’t need the 8th grade test, and some say he does. So to be safe – we decided to get ready to take one for this year.
(In Oregon, OSAA, after August 15th, they can’t play.)

So why did it surprise me that the very week we were having these conversations, Adaptive Placement Test and Individualized Lesson Plan became available.

This is exactly what we wanted.  A way to find the learning gaps with math. We’ve done so many projects with Jon, and he is doing great this year, but what would a placement test reveal?

The first thing we found was that the placement tests seem to be a bit above grade level. The Testing Level we were looking for was 8th Grade. The Pre-Algebra and Algebra questions seem to encompass more than what I remember my older son taking. So we dropped down to the 6th grade level. (Only choice outside of Algebra)

There is an easy to use dashboard. This is important. Easy to Use. If it is too difficult then my son will not try to find the path on his own.

These topics lined up with more of what we have studied.

You can take a test for each section. If you pass the section, it moves on. If you do not show grade level then it gives you worksheets or online videos to work through.

I liked the idea of doing the placement test, then seeing how you did, then working through problems that you did wrong. We had to find a groove to figure out how to do the paper side of things, while looking at the computer. If you are used to doing your math online, then this should not hinder you. We ended up setting up a white board so that he could quickly sketch out the problem.

One of the main things we found out is that my son does not pay attention to the vocabulary of math. If I explained what they wanted him to do, he’d be fine. We only found one problem that he couldn’t do. Without help, he got quite a few wrong.

And that’s when we found another testing strategy. He needs to read every answer. He’d stop with the one nearly correct and click and move one. The answers were crazy close together and you had to read every word to make sure it was the right choice.

There was a section on percents that we still had questions with, but since he passed, it didn’t give us worksheets for it.  BUT – last week when looking through the tests, I was able to look at the test directly, and find out how they solved that one problem, and that helped.

We’d take the test to see where he was, then spend our math week working on those concepts.

What I came to discover is that we need to be more intentional about the review worksheets in our math curriculum.

This program delivered what it promised – I feel that Jon is ready to take and pass his 8th grade tests enough to play sports next year. We will continue to work through math topics. This particular product comes with a 3 month time frame, which I think is plenty.

You may have other reasons to try adaptive placement tests – here is a link of the Top 12 Reasons to do Adaptive Placement Test w/Lessons.

A+ Interactive Math has quite a few ways to communicate with their customers –

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APlusTutorSoft
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/aplustutorsoft
• Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/aplustutorsoft

This would be where you’d find deals like  2-week 40% to 50% off sale on our “Family Math Packages” and “Adaptive Placement Testing w/ Lessons” program on Monday May 4th. Start Date: 5/4/2015 – End Date: 5/18/2015.

They offer lots of freebies for homeschool families to try to make sure the program is a good fit before purchased. Here are two examples:

Free Math Placement Test: http://www.aplustutorsoft.com/get-free-homeschool-math-curriculum-placement-test-online.jsp

Free Family Math Packages: http://www.aplustutorsoft.com/get-free-homeschool-math-curriculum-program-package-online.jsp

Many other free items can be downloaded on their site as well.

One downside for me, while I was reviewing, is the ongoing information through emails. The plus is that they really want to know what is available. If you need online math – there will be a sale or a freebie that should fit your family.

This program gave me the exact results I wanted. To be fair – it also showed how much my son does not do well with online math. But if you are looking for a great online math program, check out their links!

To see what the other crew members reviewed – click the graphic below.