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Parent User Guide (319 KB PDF)

Student User Guide (318 KB PDF)

Tutor User Guide (320 KB PDF)

What course should I place myself or my student in?
Correct course placement can be challenging, but ALEKS has created K-12 Course Recommendations by Grade to assist you with your decision. Whether a student is working above, below, or at grade level, ALEKS has provided suggestions for students to progress through the ALEKS K-12 mathematics curricula.

Please note: After a student takes the initial ALEKS assessment, we recommend moving the student to a higher course level if his/her pie is more than 90 percent full, or moving the student to a lower course level if less than 10 percent is complete.

How much does my student have to practice a topic in order to add it to her pie?
Because ALEKS is designed to give learners only the topics they are truly prepared for, they can usually master new topics relatively quickly, without a great deal of repetitive practice. If the student makes no mistakes at all on the practice problems, only 2-3 will be required in most cases. If there are mistakes, the number of practice problems may be greater. In any case, we want the learner to answer correctly at least twice in a row before moving on, so that there will be a solid foundation for learning new material. The student's retention of this topic will be checked the next time there is a reassessment, and if review is needed it will be provided following that assessment.

What happens if my student really isn't understanding something?
Most of the time the learner will be successful in learning a new topic offered by ALEKS, even if there are mistakes along the way. You and the student should take advantage of the resources ALEKS provides to assist with this, especially the Explanation button. If there is difficulty, sit down with the student and go over the explanation to make sure she is understanding it. Occasionally, however, the new topic simply will not "click" for the student at a particular time. If it is obvious that the student is not making headway, ALEKS will tactfully suggest working on a different topic and redirect the student to the pie chart for a new choice. The student can then choose to work on a new topic and return to the more difficult topic at a later time.

How do I move myself or my student from one course to another?
With an ALEKS Independent Use subscription, students have access to the full ALEKS course library. While students can only take one course at a time during the subscription, students can move into another course at any time by using the Master Account, or by using the Options page within the Student Account.

Overall Experience:
My overall experience is summarized by one word: RELIEF. I am so relieved that I found ALEKS; it has freed me from much worry and frustration over my son and his difficulty in understanding math. ALEKS is very user-friendly, and I receive updates and reports of my son's progress while he works independently.

What challenges did your student face in math prior to using ALEKS?
My son hit a developmental block in math when he started 5th grade. I have used over 6 different math curriculums and even enrolled him in a Virtual Public School in hopes that they could help him. I am not a novice at teaching and tried every avenue and approach just to help him "get it." However, at age 14, he was still testing at a 5th grade level in math. He is reading at a college level with a comprehension level of upper High School, but math was just stopping him dead in his tracks.

What math progress have you seen in your student since using ALEKS?
My son’s confidence level in math has increased tremendously. He even says he's doing a lot of the math in his head now (something he was incapable of doing before). I don't think he's scared of math anymore.

Overall Experience:
ALEKS is an incredible learning tool. Everyone should be able to have the same stimulating experience as I did. Math is my weakest subject and surprisingly, with the help of ALEKS and my math instructor, I achieved an A in a 5-week course! That is very impressive given that I couldn't even achieve a B in a full-length high school math class! ALEKS is incredible and should be offered in every classroom!

What challenges did you face in math prior to using ALEKS?
I had gaps in my math knowledge and a shaky grasp of basic concepts.

What math progress have you seen since using ALEKS?
I feel very confident in math and look forward to taking additional math courses. I am no longer struggling to grasp basic math concepts. I am very satisfied with my progress in ALEKS.

Share Your ALEKS Success Story!

If you have an ALEKS success story (see success stories above), please share your story and it may appear in our next eNewsletter. As a thank you for your time and feedback, we will enter you into our quarterly drawing* to receive an iPod Nano.

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