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Monday, February 23, 2009

TOS Review: Math Tutor dvds

If you've read this blog for very long, you know that I very, very rarely run out of things to say. I'm a font of words if not wisdom and quite often ramble on for so long that only two posts can fit on page one of this blog.

So imagine my conundrum when I discovered that I really can't find anything to say about the dvds offered by MathTutorDVD.com My sample copies were Algebra 2 Tutor (6 hour video course) and The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor, an 8 hour ride through ... well, word problems.

I watched the videos. And yet ... I'm drawing a blank.

And then it hit me: essentially, these videos are the exact same instruction that I received in a public school classroom. The formula? Guy with white board explains math. The outcome? Mary Grace doodles on notepad and wonders what's for dinner.

The instruction is thorough, practical (and I quote: "Count on your fingers if you have to.") and without distraction. Investing in one of these courses will definitely earn your child a full credit toward the mathematical discipline at hand. It's old-fashioned school learning at its best.

It's also the mathematical equivalent of driving your car through a barren desert with the air conditioner on--you know what's out there, but it's just not appealing enough to get out of your comfort zone and indulge in.