Mom’s obsession with drills of every shape and size stretches far into my distant memory. Images of hours spent on MathBlaster hover in my subconscious. Little pieces of floating space garbage still haunt my dreams. Our version of the program was rendered obsolete years ago and stories of geeky space aliens are now only legendary in our house. But Mom’s love for math drills remains strong.
Recently, she had the opportunity to subscribe to a new program at a heavily discounted price through the Homeschool Buyer’s Co-op. IXL is a web-based math program that provides drills beginning at the pre-K level and extending up to the 5th grade. Topics covered include:
- counting
- addition
- subtraction
- identifying money
- identifying shapes
- multiplication
- division
- decimals
- word graphs
The system keep track of each student’s accuracy and provides parents with reports for each session. Students are rewarded with virtual prizes as they successfully master levels. IXL also tracks education standards by state. Your students’ lesson plan can be tailored to meet the education standards of your state. The program will even provide you with feedback about your child’s readiness for state testing.
The program’s design is light and attractive and graphics are kept to a minimum. This is helpful for young children who are easily distracted by overwhelming images. Since the program is web-based, users can access IXL Math from anywhere. A subscription for one child is $9.95 per month or $79.95 for the year. However, if you decide to subscribe, search first for discounts available on the web.
