Mathpert

I usually put off reviewing upper level math programs as long as possible. That is due to my ingrained fear of the subject, brought on from years public high school paranoia. Every once in awhile I find a math program that calms my nerves, and makes me feel like I can tackle the subject. As my oldest son has entered the world of Algebra this year, I have found myself feeling very inept. This new program is just what the doctor ordered! I can now have SOMEONE ELSE show him just how to do the problems.

Mathpert is a brilliantly designed program, which may seem rather non-assuming when you look at the box. Trust me, you'll be glad you have this one in the house when your kids reach high school math! Not only does this program give your kids tons of practice problems, it actually lets them enter their homework problems, and find out how to solve them. Some of you may cringe at the idea of them seeing the answers on the computer, but I think it's great. When your kids are really stuck, they have somewhere to go to find the answers. Mathpert shows them how to get the correct answer step-by-step. Your kids can solve the problems themselves, with hints from Mathpert if needed, or they can watch Mathpert solve the problem for them.

I found the step-by-step demonstration method invaluable. Sure, if you find your kids typing in every problem they ever have to do and writing down the answers, you may want to stop them. They will still have to pass those tests, however, without the assistance of the computer. This program will help your children learn HOW to do the problems, and gain the confidence needed to do them independently.

Mathpert is available in several modules, covering algebra, pre-calculus and calculus. In each section, you will find a table of contents much like that in a textbook. Your children can work through the book one section at a time, doing any of the more than 50 problems per topic. They can also find a corresponding section and type in their own homework problems. Finding the right section takes a bit of practice, and typing in your own problems requires you referencing the manual. We found these slight inconveniences well worth the effort. You will get the hang of it rather quickly. There are great sections covering advanced graphing which allow your kids to create and manipulate graph features as needed.

Unlike Studyworks, which is more difficult to use, and requires you to ask questions on a bulletin board, Mathpert really lets you get right in and solve problems. The only true drawback we found was the inability to use story problems. You will need to make sure your children know how to extract the pertinent data from story problems in order to utilize Mathpert.

This is a great program, and highly recommended for those families braving the waters of high school math.

Grading for Mathpert Educational Value: 5 Entertainment Value: 3 Replay Value: 5 Available from Intel Play and Mattel at http://www.mathpert.com

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