Our family only recently decided to get Internet. So, on our first full day with the service I woke up early and scoured the web for free educational websites that might be useful supplements for what we were already doing with our home school subjects. Khan Academy was one of the only sites that I immediately decided we would adopt into our curriculum. Why we like it:
1. It is free! We cannot believe this wealth of knowledge is offered to us for free in such a high quality package!
2. It is fun! As soon as we discovered the knowledge map, which is a graphic representation of where we have been on the website and which exercises we have completed or attempted, all set amongst a backdrop of outer space, we were hooked. When an exercise is completed Autumn earns points, but she can also earn "Earth Badges", "Sun Badges" and meteorite awards for being persistent or mastering a certain topic.
3. It recommends review! Whenever Autumn logs onto her knowledge map she is presented with topics that are highlighted that she needs to do review exercises for. This ensures that she isn't just learning material to get through the section and then forgetting it.
4. It works because it is motivating and extremely helpful to Autumn and myself! Autumn is 8 and already doing lots of problems in the algebra playlist. She likes being able to move at her own pace and to play a video over and over again if she doesn't understand a concept.(The video doesn't become frustrated or impatient like I could eventually become) Of course, we still use a math textbook, and I still do plenty of the teaching, but since I am also raising a 3 year old and need to do housekeeping, Khan Academy can become a blessing when I am feeling like there is no time to sit and patiently explain a concept for the 10th time. Also, the way Sal Khan teaches the concept is often different than the way I would teach it and this can often be the final bit of information Autumn needs for the light bulb to go off!
If you haven't checked out Khan Academy our family highly recommends it!
www.khanacademy.com
Here is one of the videos Autumn watched today:
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