10 thoughts on “Conquer Mighty Algebra! A Review”

1. Still early days, my child has done the first set of skill lessons which were the less, equal or more than. Seemed to think it was OK.

   Whilst watching one of the videos, Carol constantly turns round to the board which means the sound gets distorted which I found frustrating.

   I agree with Carolyn on her views that by doing this course you can cover many aspects of algebra together, rather than in isolated sections. They will also realise that they know a lot of the content anyway, but Carol explains the topics clearly and introduces formal language.

   I will update when we have covered the lesson in greater detail.

   Thank you for the opportunity of trialling this product.

   • Great that you managed to grab one of the free courses! Thanks for sharing your initial feedback with us – it’ll be really for parents whose children need algebra support!
     Mighty algebra does take it from the basics- has your child studied algebra before?
     Looking forward to hearing your thoughts as your family progresses through the course.

2. A few weeks have passed and it has been a bit slow in getting my child to use the site. However, now starting to make progress and have to admit “I really like it!.

   I had never thought of = as algebra, but this is the first stage you work through.
   Then Properties
   Then Inverse
   Then BODMAS.
   We have now completed all the Number Operations.

   I think the videos are very entertaining but they get the point across very clearly. Carole uses her hands a lot to talk and points her finger with “never never never do xyz” and emphasies brackets with her arms. They are unintentionally humerous but excellent at the same time. My child finds her really funny to watch so he is enjoying the videos.
   I like the way she explains the BODMAS rules with every example she talked through.

   There are 20 questions and five sections to complete in each topic, so they do seem a bit long. Most sites only ask 10 questions. (3 sections minimum but 5 preferred.) However, on saying that it really does make sure you understand the concepts. Each section has different values of numbers.

   I dont like that you dont see what answers you got wrong. You just get a %. Without knowing what you got wrong its hard to know what you still need to learn or what mistakes you are making.

   I dont like that you cant go back to the previous question when you realise you have made a mistake just as you click the button.

   If you get a low mark (bronze level) you can replay the games and it recommends you watch the video again before you attempt the games.

   I had been very negative about Carole Voderman and her product and reluctant to try it, but after a short time I can definitely see it has a great place in the market.

   In real terms £20 isnt an excessive amount of money to pay. You could pay more than that for a tutor for one hour and not cover what is covered in this package.

   I like the fact that it is structured and builds up the knowledge of using algebra right from the start. So understanding how number properites work is so important before you tackle real algebra.

   Too often as parents we introduce our kids to higher levels of maths without making sure they understand the basics but programmes like this are a great teaching tool.

   I would definitely recommend it as an additional learning tool to other programmes and will now also investigate the other packages.

   TheMathsFactor makes algebra seem really easy and takes away all the fear that so many kids have.

   Thank you Caroline for the opportunity to try it.

   Mary

   .

   • Thanks for your in depth feedback Mary! It’s going to help lots of parents decide whether this is a product for their child.
     I agree that this structured approach to Algebra is something which is very effective.
     You’re right that the large amount of questions helps to reinforce the work, but I’m sure some children will find that aspect difficult to get used to.
     Thanks once again for your insight-please pass by and give us more feedback as your child completes the course.

   • Hi,
     I just wanted to let you know that in response to feedback we’ve received, we have added a great new feature to our Mighty Algebra School:The Maths Skill Report Card.
     The Maths Skill Report Card allows you to see which questions your child answered correctly and which questions they got wrong. You can also view the correct answers.
     To have a look at the new feature, just log onto your Parent Dashboard, and go to the Mighty Algebra ‘Log Book’, then select a ‘Skill Check’ that your child has completed and simply click on the ‘View’ link under the Report Card column.The Maths Skill Report Card will open in a new pop-up window.
     At the end of each Skill Check, when your child goes back to the Skill Check Wall, they can now also review their own ‘Report Card’ for the Skill Check they’ve just completed.
     We hope you like the new feature and please continue to provide us with your valuable feedback on our products.
     themathsfactor.com

3. I must first congratulate you on Maths Insider, as an unenthusiastic Maths parent I find your insights very helpful. We are one of the lucky ones to receive the free ‘Mighty Algebra’ course. My 10 year old daughter who is an ‘Apple’ generation child knows exactly what she likes in terms of graphics, apps and educational games. Carol Voderman is my childhood idol and I was excited to introduce her to my Maths shy child.

   Unfortunately my daughter found the talking and navigation too slow, the graphics and screens too basic and it did not retain her interest at all. She couldn’t understand my enthusiasm for Carol and to date she has not willingly come back to try again and showed no interest at all.

   Sorry Carol!!!

   However she did enjoy Maths whizz much more, this seemed more modern, up to date and similar to the popular apps and games children of her age are in to. My problem is to actually get her to take an interest in the site in the first place and then sit long enough to benefit from the tutorials. Maths Whizz obviously have the right ingredients.

   Keep up the good work Caroline!! Let us know what Maths discoveries you make in Orlando. Enjoy!!

   Saira

   • Thanks Saira for your review!

     I can see what you mean about the slow navigation. It’s something that could put off a lot of children so hopefully this will be improved in future Maths Factor updates/products, it would be a shame if kids don’t get the full benefit from this step by step algebra program.

     Maths Whizz does have great games and smoother navigation – it’s good that you’ve found something your daughter likes.

     Yes, my Stateside trip has included a few maths treats – in Boston we visited the Science dept at Harvard and the MIT museum and plan to visit the Science Museum. We’ll see what maths we find in Orlando!

4. Thank you Amanda for your post above. We got an email this morning informing us of the change and I came on here to update my message.

   The report is definitely great, but it doesnt show what the child actually inputted, only that they got it wrong and it shows the correct answer.

   On most questions it doesnt matter, but when the questions are getting more complicated, it would still be worth seeing what they typed to see if there is a common pattern.

   • Thanks again for your feedback Mary and glad that you like the new report. Showing you each of the individual answers that your child submitted will take us longer to achieve. However, our Customer Services Team do have access to individual answers and are more than happy to help you identify patterns. Just drop them a question using our support form on the main website or call them on the customer support number. They are available 7 days a week.

5. I’m glad that i found Your post. Good reading, gives more to think about these tips.. Thanks!

Comments are closed.