Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Math Tutor DVD: Pre-Algebra Tutor and Texas Instruments TI-83/TI-84 Calculator Tutor



As members of the Homeschool Crew our family has been able to review products from Math Tutor DVD twice before.  You can read our previous reviews at the following links:

I appreciate the vision that Jason Gibson has to help students in public school, homeschools and college understand, rather than fear, math.  Math is a subject that some of my children struggle with.   Despite their struggles, sometimes they just want to tune Mom out and do not want to hear her explain how to multiply fractions or solve long division problems ... again.

Enter Math Tutor DVDs, and former NASA employee, Jason Gibson.  He walks the students through a multitude of math problems, showing each step on a white board as he explains the process orally.  The DVDs carefully cover each area of  the topic, and are especially beneficial to the auditory and visual learners.  And best of all ... it's not MOM saying it AGAIN.

The Math Tutor DVDs are not flashy or high-impact videos.  They are very focused tutoring lessons.  The majority of them focus on Mr. Gibson standing in front of a white board.  The camera zooms in on a section of the white board as he works, without any other visuals to distract the student.  They aren't entertaining, but they cover the material thoroughly, and explain it well.

I was pleased to see that the quality of the DVDs has improved since the first ones we reviewed.  The camera is more steady, Mr. Gibson no longer moves from one board to the next around a room, and I didn't notice errors in what he said vs. what he wrote on the board.



The Pre-Algebra Tutor DVD

The Pre-Algebra Tutor, volume 1 contains 2 DVDs with 5 hours of instruction.   Jason Gibson tackles the new and difficult topics that are introduced in pre-algebra, to help students overcome fear and confusion.  He works through a series of problems on each topic, while explaining the process and definitions.

This DVD is currently available for $26.99, saving $8 over its regular price of $34.99.     You can view sample clips from the DVD, and a list of the 9 pre-algebra subjects covered on the DVD,  by clicking HERE.



The Texas Instruments TI-83/TI-84 Calculator Tutor DVD

The TI-83/TI-84 Calculator DVD contains 3 DVDs, featuring 8 hours of tutorials on how to use this graphing calculator.   If you (or your student) are beginning a course that requires the TI-83 or TI-84 calculator,  this DVD set can help you learn how to operate it.   This DVD tutorial shows a computerized replica of the calculator buttons, and its answer screen.  You can see what buttons to push for the different functions, as well as the resulting answer.  This would be especially helpful for those who learn faster by viewing a demonstration, rather than reading a manual.

It is currently available for $26.99, a savings of $5 over its usual price of $31.99.   You can view a sample clip, and a list of all 37 topics covered in this tutorial,  at this link.

In Summary:
The Math Tutor DVDs contain hours of tutoring help, and are definitely worth their price.   They are re-usable, non-consumable, and can be resold to other families when you no longer need them.   Those three facts make them an even greater value!   Additionally, Math Tutor DVDs offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on each of their products.   If the DVDs don't help you (or your student) understand math better and improve your grades, you can return them for a full refund (within 30 days).

This item was provided free for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion. Visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.


Trusting In Him,
April