UnLock Math Reviews
Lessons represent bite-sized chunks of information for more confidence and less overwhelm. This is great for teens who have been struggling with math until now. Many testimonials in my Facebook group have said that Unlock Math turned math around for their teen!
Only one problem is shown on the screen at a time. Again, less overwhelm, more confidence—which translates to more success for your kid.
The videos show a real person! According to the Unlock Math website, “Studies have shown that students learn and remember information better if they SEE the teacher working through a problem vs. voice-over type lessons.”
Your kid can have as much practice as they need, but they are not inundated with too many problems that must be completed before moving forward. There are 10 practice problems for each lesson (a reasonable number), but if your teen needs more, they can do more. And the new problems are not exactly the same as the ones they’ve already attempted, so they can’t just memorize the answers and keep moving forward. Gotta love that!
There is a regular review built in. First, at the beginning of each lesson, there is a warm-up of 5 questions which focus on only the previous lesson. This reminds your kid of what they learned yesterday and gets them set up for success today. Then there are 10 questions at the end of the lesson which are pulled from several previous lessons, so your kid can’t forget what they’ve learned further in the past. This is not exactly spiral learning because the lesson’s practice problems are not mixed in with the review problems; but in my opinion, it is actually better because your kid can focus on what they need to learn from today’s lesson, and THEN they can get more practice on what has gone before. Can you say “bye-bye confusion”?
There is a challenge problem after each lesson for the kid who loves math or who has really nailed down a particular concept. They can earn extra points and find new ways to use what they’re learning!
Every lesson provides reference notes for you to print or use online. It’s like having a textbook to refer back to so you don’t have to rewatch the video when you have a question. That’s a huge time-saver.
As with all online programs, quizzes and tests are given at appropriate intervals, and everything is graded for you. BUT with Unlock Math, you have the power to modify any grade based on your kid and/or your circumstances. You have the ultimate control without having to email anyone or do a bunch of recalculating for yourself. I really applaud this feature!
You also have control over when your kid can move forward by setting a grade threshold they must achieve. If their score is less than that threshold, they must repeat the lesson. This prevents a lot of heartaches that can occur with kids pushing through lessons that they really have no clue how to do, and you don’t find out until much later, and then so much time has been wasted, and there may be tears… (don’t ask me how I know). It’s also great for those who expect their kid to keep working until they achieve “mastery,” or 100%.
Also, as was mentioned about the practice problem sets, quizzes and tests can also be taken multiple times—with new questions generated each time—and the highest grade is the one that gets kept. Again, great for achieving mastery or for getting over that grade threshold and TRULY understanding, not just memorizing the answers enough to squeak by.
And last but certainly not least, in fact, SO NOT LEAST, Unlock Math provides live chat support and unparalleled customer service. Your kid has a question? They can ask it! YOU have a question? You can email or call and find out what you need to know with no hassle. The Unlock Math family wants your kid to succeed, and they are committed to helping you make that happen by giving you all the support you require.
Read the entire review AND watch a video walk-through here.
The lessons are very clearly laid out and easy to follow, and they include everything you need—plenty of practice problems, cumulative review, the ability to review any lesson, tests, and complete solutions along with the answers.”
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Note: We have had numerous updates since Alana reviewed UnLock Math, adding features and having an all-new navigation.
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