IntelliMathics and ReadyMade Fractions 1 and Fractions 2 from Intellitools

Before you read this review of IntelliMathics and ReadyMade Fractions 1 and Fractions 2, I have an important assignment for you, the dear reader. Surf on over to the IntelliTools website and watch the demo for IntelliMathics (www.intellitools.com under Product Demos, then Classroom Pac, then IntelliMathics), then come right back! Don't worry - we'll still be here waiting when you get back - if you don't get lost enjoying the great website, or decide to order the product on the spot!

Are you done yet? You did come back, right? Wow, what did I tell you! IntelliMathics is another IntelliTools software marvel. For more information about this wonderful homeschool friendly company, check out the other TOSâ„¢ reviews of Intellitools products. IntelliMathics combines onscreen manipulatives (no more stepping on little blocks that fell to the floor during yesterday's math assignment as you make that first cup of coffee in the morning) with great activities. Let's say, for example, you are helping your kindergartener learn numbers and counting. You could load activities where she can experiment with a variety of objects or base 10 blocks to practice counting. Maybe at the same time your fifth grader is reviewing adding fractions. You could have him practice activities where he uses fraction blocks or pieces of pizza (now you've got his attention!) to see how the problem changes.

IntelliMathics includes over 50 activities that allow your kids to practice Kindergarten through eighth grade math topics or adapt the activities to their specific needs. Or, your kids can use the various manipulatives, such as base 10 blocks, Venn hoops (diagrams), geoboards, tangrams, coin flipping, dice rolling, and spinner spinning, to practice what they are learning in math. Maybe you are teaching a unit on statistics and you want him to see what happens if he rolls a pair of dice 100 times. No problem! Or you are teaching geometry and want to see how the area of a triangle changes as the shape changes. Again, no problem. Maybe you want to do several very structured activities to have your child practice a difficult aspect of fractions to reinforce the concept. You guessed it, no problem!

ReadyMade Activities are Intellitools' answer for parents who want specific, step-by-step instruction of various topics that can be purchased as they are needed. Fractions 1 and Fractions 2 are ReadyMade Activities for third through fifth grade that cover a broad range of fractions topics, such as comparing fractions, number line fractions, fractions as part of a set, adding and subtracting fractions, analyzing data, and rounding fractions. IntelliMathics is required to edit Fractions 1 and Fractions 2 activities, or they can be run without editing or authoring through the free IntelliMathics player. You can download samples of the activities from the IntelliTools website (www.intellitools.com). Fractions 1 and Fractions 2 each contain five topics, with five interactive activities and at least 10 problems in each activity. So each unit contains over 250 practice questions related to fractions. The student uses the manipulatives to answer the questions and work through the materials. Then they can save or print their answers to be checked by you later, or you can print out the answer sheets and work through the problems together.

Who would benefit from IntelliMathics and ReadyMade Fractions 1 and Fractions 2? Just about any elementary student, especially if they are visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners, because the program utilizes all three senses. One of the greatest benefits of manipulatives is that they provide a way to make abstract math concepts more concrete and understandable. Computer manipulatives offer the additional advantage of having an almost unlimited supply of manipulatives without taking up shelf space. Who has room for thousands of base ten blocks, and fraction manipulatives, and spinners, and tangrams, etc. The programs are simple to navigate and to use, come with excellent manuals with tutorials and a teacher's guide, and include excellent customer service if you have any problems. IntelliMathics offers a range from very simple, already designed activities, to the tools for making (or adapting) very complex activities depending on your needs. IntelliMathics and Fractions 1 and Fractions 2 activities correlate with the curriculum standards established by the National Council of Teachers of Math. Kids with motor difficulties who might not be able to use physical manipulatives, can use these programs because they offer universal access through a mouse, a keyboard, IntelliKeys keyboard (overlays are included with the program), and switches. In other words, IntelliMathics and the Fractions 1 and Fractions 2 can be used very effectively for kids with and without special needs, because they offer so many options and can teach in so many different ways.

If you couldn't tell already, I really like these products! They are clear and easy to use; they have a broad range of applications from Kindergarten to eighth grade, for a range of math topics, and for a range of kids; they have great manuals and tutorials; and you can adapt most things to how your kids learn best. They are not fancy "bells and whistles" programs, but they are very effective and allow the parents to adapt the activities for the needs of each child. There are very few things I would change about the programs. I wish there was immediate feedback available for whether problems are correct or not, especially on the ReadyMade Activities, so the child knows right away if they are on the right path or not. It would be nice to have the program offer automatic spinning of the spinner, flipping of the coin, or rolling of the dice a certain number of times so you don't have to keep pressing the button. And, a general complaint about all of the IntelliTools products, I wish they offered more of the standard Windows features, such as right-click menus of common commands, and a good help function within the program to go along with the excellent manuals. The price is a bit steep, although I think the programs are worth it because of their versatility.

My fifth grade son, Josiah, was entranced with the geoboard and enjoyed playing around with the different activities. He thought the programs had definite kid-appeal. I thought this was a good time to practice sharing, as he wanted to play around with the programs for hours on end and didn't want to let his dear mother back on the computer to write this review (you can guess who won that argument since you are reading the review)! Josiah said, "I love this program! The geoboard is so cool, because it uses a triangle, pentagon, and a square to learn geometry. The points of the different shapes connect to points on the screen, making pictures. You can even change the colors! I have already made my initials, a cross, a hovercraft, a house, and other pictures!" You can download an IntelliMathics player for free from www.intellitools.com to play around with the program although you won't be able to print or edit the activities without the full version. IntelliMathics ($139.95) and ReadyMade Fractions 1 and Fractions 2 ($49.95 each or $39.95 each if downloaded) can be ordered from www.intellitools.com.

Readymade Curriculum Activities, Fractions 2

When I was asked to review this product, I was really excited, because this is just where my son is in his learning - and I hate fractions! I sat down to install the product and found it very simple and straightforward to install, even for my 11-year-old son. That being said, Readymade Curriculum Activities are just what they claim - activities. This is not a curriculum, and it does not "teach" fractions. It does however give supplementary activities when you are learning fractions. The activities are not graded, and can be used at any level when you are having difficulty. They start with adding fractions, and continue through subtraction, rounding, decimals, and graphing fractions. The activities are very straight forward, and as long as you have taught the concept, they do a good job of reinforcing that. The instructions on screen are quite complex, and while they do have the capability of speaking, I wouldn't expect a remedial student to be able to understand the instructions. My son was fine with them, for the most part, but even I was confused once in a while. All of the activities are based on the Intellimathics Player, which comes with the package. If you have the original full version of Intellimathics, you would be able to modify the questions and put in queries specific to your learning. You would also be able to create groups and save different people's work in their own files. This would make record keeping a snap! I only have the player installed on this CD, so I don't have those capabilities. I had to sign in as a guest, as did my son, so it got a bit confusing as to whose work was whose! The full version would be an asset, but I checked on the website, www.intellitools.com, and it was quite expensive. They actually specialize in creating tools for delayed and remedial students, such as overlays for computer keyboards, etc. So, all in all, I would use this as a fun kind of practice for concepts already taught, but I would not use it for a spine or a curriculum. The program comes with a book that has the answers to each level. There are five levels within each area (for example, adding fractions) and 10 questions to each level. My son found it difficult to go from one level to the next, as you have to save your work each time you answer a question, and then go back to the beginning of the module to go on to the next level. It doesn't seem to just flow from one level to the next. The explanations of the program are quite thorough, and I appreciated having the book to guide me through the CD. I think I'll use these activities this term as reinforcement for my computer loving son, and we'll both be happy - he'll be using the computer and practicing fractions at the same time! There are no snappy graphics to this program, it is very straightforward in its presentation, and there is the capability of speech, so you can have the page read to you, a definite plus for auditory learners! These activities are designed to be used with Intellitools Classrooms tool applications, which include the IntelliMathics I mentioned earlier. The cost of the Readymade Activities, Fractions 2 is $39.95 if you download it from their site, or 49.95 if you purchase it on CD. The IntelliMathics player is available for download free from the site, and you need it for this program, but if you want full capability for modifying and changing the problems, you need the full version of IntelliMathics, which is quite expensive at $139.95 (but it does look impressive!). It looks to me like these activities were geared specifically for the classroom use, and while a homeschooler could benefit from the practice, the cost of the actual tools needed could make implementation difficult.

"When ordering from IntelliTools, please use the following code: 'TOS123' to receive a 10% discount off the single unit price of any IntelliTools product. This offer does not apply to third party products, upgrades, bundles, or multiple unit purchases. This offer is open to US residents only. Please place your order at the IntelliTools online store at www.intellitools.com or call Toll Free on 800-899-6687 to receive this special discount."