Just mentioning the word “algebra” can strike fear into the hearts of students. Algebraic equations such as 4x + 2 = 3x + 9 look intimidating, and many students anxiously struggle to solve “tough” problems like this one. Now a new, free Android app can help students overcome math anxiety and gain success and self-confidence. The Fun Way to Learn Algebra offers students as young as eight years old a visual, kinesthetic approach to solving advanced algebraic equations in only three lessons while having fun.
The free app is based on Dr. Henry Borenson’s highly successful Hands-On Equations program, which has been proven effective in schools around the world since it was introduced in 1986. More than a million U.S. students started learning algebra using this program in their classrooms. The complete version of Hands-On Equations, level 1, is available as a low-cost Android app. Levels 2 and 3 Android apps are expected to be available in the near future. All three levels are presently available as apps for the iPad.
According to a report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, many students even in middle school and high school “do not understand procedures for transforming equations or why transformations are done the way they are.” This app demystifies abstract algebraic equations by letting students see problems concretely and solve equations by manipulating onscreen elements using the Android touch screen.
“This concept has changed our daughter’s outlook on math,” said one parent who introduced her third-grader to the Hands-On Equations app. “Thanks to Hands-On Equations she no longer sees math as a drag. She now wants to show us all how the problems are solved!”
However, the app is not just for kids. It is also helpful for adults who were terrified of algebra in school and were never able to learn the subject using traditional, abstract instruction. One reviewer of the app wrote, “Oh My God! This app has just shattered 10 years of not understanding algebra…wow. First review I ever wrote for an app.”
The iPad version of the Hands-On Equations app created waves among users as it reached the 2nd position in the App Store (USA) in the “Education” category with an enormous 18,000 downloads on the day the app went free. Within the first week of its release, The Fun Way to Learn Algebra reached the 30th position in the Google Play (USA) store in the “Education” category and had more than 5,000 downloads.
Like the classroom version, the app uses visual and kinesthetic learning strategies. In the equations the unknown x is represented by a pawn and the constants by numbered cubes. Using these game pieces, the student sets up each abstract equation on the image of a balance scale and then solves for x by moving the game pieces to simplify the equation.
“Success with sophisticated-looking algebraic equations enhances the student’s self esteem,” said Dr. Henry Borenson, an award-winning educator and the inventor of Hands-On Equations. “Students realize, sometimes for the very first time, that they can be really good at math!”
Hands-On Equations allows students in the United States to learn math that their counterparts in top-achieving countries on international math assessments do not learn until years later. The Common Core Math Standards, which is widely influencing K-6 math education in the United States, seeks to be guided by the composite standards of Singapore, Hong Kong, and Korea, where students score highest on international tests.
“Why play catch-up when we can lead?” asked Borenson. “Third- and fourth-grade students in the United States can be ahead of their fellow students in these other countries,” he added. “Those students do not see these kinds of algebraic equations before the fifth or sixth grade. Let U.S. students take the math lead for a change!”
Features of The Fun Way to Learn Algebra app for the Android tablet and phone include:
• An instructional video that introduces the concepts and strategies for the lesson.
• A graduated sequence of lessons to ensure student success.
• Touch screen features that enable students to move the digital game pieces to simplify and solve the equations.
• A "check" feature enabling self-check of solution.
• Immediate feedback for right and wrong answers.
• Optional “auto-check” for students who have difficulty with arithmetic.
• Free preview of the paid Hands-On Equations 1 app.
The Fun Way to Learn Algebra Android app is available as a FREE download from the Google Play Store, which requires Android 2.2 and up. To learn more about all the versions of Hands-On Equations, visit the developer's website.
Company Name: Borenson and Associates, Inc
Contact Person: Henry Borenson
Email:Send Email
Phone: 800-993-6284
City: Allentown
State: Pennsylvania
Country: United States
Website: http://www.borenson.com/
Source: www.abnewswire.com
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