Crew Review: Math Tutor DVDs!

Welcome it is once again time for a Crew Review! This time we reviewed Math Tutor.

Math Tutor DVD

Where: a DVD format

Price: $34.99 The Pre-Algebra Tutor

$31.99 The Texas Instruments TI-83/ TI-84 Calculator Tutor

1. Pre-Algebra Volume 1

Length 5 Hours
DVD Chapter Index

Disk 1
Sect 1 – Real Numbers
Sect 2 – The Number Line
Sect 3 – Greater Than, Less Than, Equal To
Sect 4 – Absolute Value and Adding Integers
Sect 5 – Subtracting Integers
Disk 2
Sect 6 – Multiplying Integers
Sect 7 – Dividing Integers
Sect 8 – Powers and Exponents
Sect 9 – Order of Operations

I was under the impression that my daughter needed one more year before we started pre-algebra. She is a 7th grader but needed more time to memorize multiplication and understand division than the book we were using allotted. So I went off book last year and let her work on the memorization at her pace. After reviewing this DVD with me we have decided she is ready for pre-algebra!

Jason Gibson is the instructor for this series. He uses a white board to show your child what he is talking about. His starting instructions are to go through the whole segment without stopping first, to get the idea of what he is saying. Then you can go through as you wish to get a particular point again later. I found that playing the DVD on the computer gave us MUCH more precise ability to move around the segment.

For a child with ADHD the segments are too long. I just stop them about 15 minutes in. Let me daughter get up and do something active. Then go right back to the segment so we don’t lose the thread of teaching. This has worked well for us.

This series on DVD is also great for the audio visual children. I am a reader by nature. Give me a text about a subject and I am good. My daughter is an audio visual learner. She needs to see it. Hear it, sometimes many times before it clicks. Once it clicks she remembers forever…which scares me a bit. I am afraid that I will be teaching her the wrong way to multiple integers and it sticks. I like this because I get to watch with her and learn as well. (Because I have already learned this I was able to just peek in occasionally and listen from the kitchen while making lunch to refresh my memory most of the time)

I like this DVD series much to my surprise. Shamefaced my textbook  leanings had me not liking it before I ever opened it. I am very glad I gave it a chance. I am even more happy that this style of teaching is reaching my daughter and helping her build a better math foundation! I recommend this series especially for the audio visual learners and moms like me who would like a hand in being sure I am teaching math the correct way!

2. Texas Instruments TI-84 Calculator Tutor:

Length 8 Hours

Disk 1
Section 1: Overview of the Calculator
Section 2: The Mode Menu
Section 3: Basic Arithmetic and Exponents
Section 4: Logarithms and Square Roots
Section 5: Sin, Cos, Tan
Section 6: Scientific Notation and Storing Variables
Section 7: The Math Menu and Catalog Menu
Section 8: Convert between Fractions and Decimals
Section 9: Finding the Min and Max of a Function
Section 10: Calculating Derivatives and Integrals
Section 11: Absolute Value, Rounding, and Integers
Section 12: Converting between Degrees and Radians
Section 13: Working with Complex Numbers
Disk 2
Section 14: Using the Equation Solver
Section 15: Graphing and Tracing Functions
Section 16: Using Tables and Split Screen Modes
Section 17: Find the Exact Value of a Function Using Graphing
Section 18: Finding the Zeros of a Function using Graphing
Section 19: Finding the Max and Min of a Function using Graphing
Section 20: Finding Intersections of Functions using Graphing
Section 21: Finding the Derivative of a Function by Graphing
Section 22: Calculating the Definite Integral by Graphing
Section 23: Drawing on a Graph
Section 24: Graphing and Tracing Sequences
Disk 3
Section 25: Graphing and Tracing Parametric Equations
Section 26: Converting between Rectangular and Polar Coordinates
Section 27: Graphing and Tracing Polar Equations
Section 28: Permutations, Combinations, and Factorial
Section 29: Working with Histograms and Box Plots
Section 30: Graphing Statistical Scatter Plots
Section 31: Calculating Mean, Median, Standard Deviation, and more
Section 32: Performing Statistical Regression
Section 33: Calculating with Matrices
Section 34: Solving Systems of Equations with Matrices
Section 35: Calculating Interest Rates
Section 36: Calculating Mortgages and Loans
Section 37: Calculating Savings and Investments

Fess up time…Though this DVD set was specifically for a Texas Instruments TI-83/ TI-84 I could not afford the about 100$ calculator to fully review it 🙁 The frugal mom in me wondered what in the world a 100$ calculator could give you. My husband who was in many a math class getting his degree. Said that this EXACT calculator was the only one many of his classes would accept. So there is a very real and usable purpose for this calculator. I am just not there yet. So I got a scientific calculator to use.

I found out more in the first lesson about scientific calculators than I experienced in my high school advanced math classes. Mr Gibson SHOWS you exactly what to push and what the outcomes should look like. You see him type into the face of the calculator that shows up on the screen. The you see what the calculator should show on it’s screen on the right. Even with using a cheaper scienticfic calculator I was able to follow him on many of the first lessons. This one we tried on the TV.  I started with just me and my two oldest…soon everyone was sitting in the living room learning about calculator functions. LOL quite a sight!

These lessons where shorter than the pre-algebra or at least they felt like it because pushing buttons is fun. This series was clear, understandable and I would recommend it if you get a Texas Instruments TI-83/ TI-84.

If you are still wondering about these DVDs try looking at the other Crew reviews!