With resources for Pre-K to 8th grade, IXL Math is a good site for practice and drill. While the site also has a paid membership that includes comprehensive coverage of math skills, the free access provides plenty of interactive practice on a variety of skills arranged by age and topic. The coverage meets state standards and tracks your child’s progress.
(2 Reviews)
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Cons: Can be demoralizing
Grades Used: K, 4,5,
IXL is interactive and keeps a kid’s attention. The points system can be a great thing or a terrible thing. My youngest child loves getting points and that motivates him. My oldest child also loves getting points, and he enjoys the congratulations IXL gives when he gets a question right. But whenever he struggles with a concept, the continual negative feedback with a honking sound become very discouraging to him. We stopped using IXL for him because he was getting so overwhelmed and began thinking he was bad at math. I went back to paper and pencil without the immediate reprimand for being wrong. He’s doing much better now.
Cons: Punishment
Grades Used: 1,3, 6,7,8
IXL will punish students when they get one problem wrong after many correct answers. They will slip from an 86 to a 65 for one incorrect problem after 15 correct problems of various styles in one unit. Students with any learning disability or ADD/ADHD should avoid this software.