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Review: Math Tutor DVD

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Okay, you all know that I do my best to be honest with you, right?  A few weeks ago, I received a couple of DVDs in the mail from Math Tutor DVD.  I was immediately drawn to the one DVD because it had my very favorite creature in all the world on the cover — a red-eyed tree frog.

Then, I read the title of the second DVD, The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor: 8 Hour Video Course.  Here comes the honesty part.  When I read that title, my first thought was, “I’d rather stab myself in the eye with a pencil than watch that DVD.”

I mean, really, aren’t the words “math word problems” the three most dreaded words in the English language?  The whole purpose of the DVD, however, is to make those words a little less dreaded.  The 8 hour DVD course covers word problems of the following types:

  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing whole numbers
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing decimals and fractions
  • Percents, ratio, and proportion

The instructor, Jason Gibson, goes into great detail, breaking down each type of problem and giving students tips on how to recognize what, exactly, they’re being asked to do in each particular problem.  He offers key words to tell students which operation to use and gives practical suggestions on how to figure out each problem, such as drawing diagrams.

For us, though, there was too much detail.  Mr. Gibson literally spent over five minutes on the problems we watched (no, we didn’t watch the entire 8 hours).  My kids were screaming the answer at the screen within the first couple of minutes and becoming very frustrated that the explanation went on and on.  This might be great for some kids, but it was driving mine crazy.

There are lots of topics in the Math Tutor DVD library, in addition to the word problems DVD.  Some examples are:

  • Basic Math
  • Algebra
  • Calculus
  • Trig
  • Physics
  • Probability

You can check out samples online at Math Tutor DVDPrices vary, but the word problems DVD is available for $26.99.

The second DVD we reviewed, the one with the cute little red-eyed tree frog, is called Young Minds: Numbers and CountingThis DVD were developed to teach young children basic math skills such as, well, numbers and counting.

The DVD features music by classical composers, such as Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin.  The relaxing music and stunning photography of the DVD provide the backdrop for learning number recognition and counting skills.

The DVD is narrated by a young child (or, perhaps, an adult with a young child’s voice) and counts things that kids will find interesting, such as dump trucks, sea turtles, and baby birds.  In addition to counting, there are games such as: Guess the Animal, Connect the Dots, and Picture Puzzles.

Of course, I don’t have kids young enough to say for sure if this DVD would capture the interest of it’s intended audience, but it reminded me of the Baby Einstein DVDs, so that might give you an idea if your little one would like it or not.  The Young Minds DVD is available from the website for $19.99.

I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it.  I received no other compensation for this review.  The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions.  Your experience may vary.
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Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.

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3 Comments

  1. Thank you for taking the time to do these reviews! I now use two new math sites because of it and I am SO SO thankful, you have no idea!!!

    If you come across anything as far as report writing or story writing I would love to hear about it!

    Thanks again!!

  2. It took me forever to find this review, but I remembered reading it when it was first posted.Wanted to put in my two cents- I started "Math Tutor" this year and was really impressed. I'm starting algebra, and this has been a big help to me in making big, scary looking problems easy and solvable. I guess it really depends on your experience in the subject. I also find it's helpful to keep a note-pad with you to write the basic rules he sets down, and the example problems.

    Locksley

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