Switched-on Schoolhouse (SOS)
Switched-On Schoolhouse (SOS) is a combination of
traditional education and high-tech learning. It teaches 3-12 grade students standard subjects in a fun and easy to use computer-based format. The CD-ROM format provides an interactive learning experience, making Switched-On Schoolhouse seem like an adventure. The clever animation and special effects spread a contagious energy that gets kids excited about
learning."
"SOS Mathematics 3-12 is a comprehensive math curriculum."
The math program 69.95/grade.
Add a review
Reviews of Switched On Schoolhouse curriculum (SOS)
Review left February 28, 2008
I have used Alpha Omega's Switched on Schoolhouse Math program and the whole curriculum since Third Grade. The math program is comprehensive and teaches you all the stuff you need to know in a way you can understand it. According to my friends that go to public school AOP's math program is way ahead of the curve. This is the best math program you can get for the money and it's FUN!
Jake R.
|
Review left January 30, 2008
Hi, I'm a student using the S.O.S program. It's really fun, but I must say the whole "makes learning fun" is a total lie. Learning will never be fun, period, but it does make learning easier. I can go back in my lessons and find the answers to my study guides, and if I lose my calculator, they have one in the program to use so that a plus like all things. People have found ways to cheat on it, but our teachers are really good and have totally stopped that. Overall it's an awesome program with a few bugs to work out.
I'd say get it, but it's better for a school, not just one kid learning on his/her own because then it's just hard. My teachers are always explaining how to do something in my math or language that if I ask my mom, she's stumped, "And they give her a program to use just like us to check out our work". Oh, and one thing I don't like but my mom loves: she can always see my grades like an instant report card thing.
Ivy
|
Review left January 7th, 2008
This is my first year using SOS, and my 4th year homeschooling. I have been in school for the majority of my life though.
I find the math lessons to be greatly lacking in detail. For the most part, a lesson consists of a couple of examples of what you will be learning, a small paragraph of writing that hardly explains anything, and maybe a short video or image that is somehow supposed to help you. It then expects you to see that, and just know how to do it. Sometimes they don't even give examples for the questions they ask, and expect you to figure it out basically by yourself.
I also find it inconsistent. One minute they try to teach you something that is very difficult, and they next they teach me something I learned in 4th grade.
The application itself is also glitchy, and pretty annoying. Falling behind is also a pain, because catching up isn't easy at all. The whole thing also feels childish and immature. I'm in 9th grade, and I don't want cartoons telling me what to do.
Any other helpful hints:
I honestly cannot suggest this product to ANYONE. I don't feel that I have learned anything this year, and I am failing math for the first time in my life. I think I can safely blame it on the products lack of teaching.
Chris
|
Review left January 7th, 2008
This is my first year using SOS, and my 4th year homeschooling. I have been in school for the majority of my life though.
I find the math lessons to be greatly lacking in detail. For the most part, a lesson consists of a couple of examples of what you will be learning, a small paragraph of writing that hardly explains anything, and maybe a short video or image that is somehow supposed to help you. It then expects you to see that, and just know how to do it. Sometimes they don't even give examples for the questions they ask, and expect you to figure it out basically by yourself.
I also find it inconsistent. One minute they try to teach you something that is very difficult, and they next they teach me something I learned in 4th grade.
The application itself is also glitchy, and pretty annoying. Falling behind is also a pain, because catching up isn't easy at all. The whole thing also feels childish and immature. I'm in 9th grade, and I don't want cartoons telling me what to do.
Any other helpful hints:
I honestly cannot suggest this product to ANYONE. I don't feel that I have learned anything this year, and I am failing math for the first time in my life. I think I can safely blame it on the products lack of teaching.
Chris
|
| Time: 6 months |
Grade: 7th |
We have homeschooled two very unique children for three years. We first used A Beka for everything. One child did not do well at all so we tried dropping back a year and using Saxon. That did not help at all. This year we started with SOS.
Except for the first Unit, over bases, this child is doing great. The majority of the units explain everything enough to understand and work the problems. The Teacher side does all the work for me, and I have access to how the problem is worked out. I really like the load of work that is taken off of me. Our child really likes that he can see what is due each day. SHould he get behind its nothing to change due dates or reschedule.
During the course of trying to teach this child math we have discovered he has a math learning disorder called discalculia. This may be the source of many child frustrations. Before you rate a particular product negatively make sure your child simply needs a different type of learning situation.
May Fyne
|
Switched on School House is a computerized program which touches on the basic math skills, which is required in life. I've had no problems at all with the Math portion, maybe a glitch here and there, but nothing serious.
Why you liked/didn't like the book:
I've really had no issues with Switched on School House. My child seems to enjoy it as a backup study or as he calls it (Homework) to his AO Math book. Every program and book will have glitches and even public schools books have glitches you just have find them and my son thinks thats fun.
Any other helpful hints:
You will have to take the time to find glitches and work thru them. But, its not really that frustrating, in fact its kinda funny. You get to see human error at its best. It was written by several people and if you contact them they help and guide you all the way thru it. They have better Tech support then most. (Homeschooler of 9 years)
Renee Wirth
|
We have been homeschooling for 2 years and I hoped that SOS would make lesson planning easier.It was ok for that but not much more.
Why you liked/didn't like the book:
I like the language and science ok , but the math and history not so well. I do not think they cover each subject in enough detail and the Math is especially lacking. The history flies thru some things and drags in others. I am planning on another choice next year at least in Math.
Another negative is if you ever get behind.... Look out is is almost impossible to catch up adding to frustration.
Any other helpful hints:
Really think before you spend the money on this curriculum. It is overpriced and very glitchy. If you have a child who balks at monotony , you are not going to be satisfied.
Sabrina
|
I am a home school student since third grade. I skipped 2nd so I could use SOS.
Why you liked/didn't like the book:
I like the Switched-On Schoolhouse computerized curriculum, but it does have a few errors. A lot of errors. The math program especially is buggy. It will tell you to do it one way, then when you do it that way next time, it wants it a different way, which it doesn't happen to specify (95% of the time.) There are a few glitches that will allow students with parents who don't care, to cheat. My older brother is professional at finding ways to cheat. This program causes MAXIMUM STRESS in our house. But knowing that, I think I would still take it over books. There is a very unique function that sets this apart from most: It grades itself. This would be about 12x better if it didn't have so many bugs! My Mom has to go in and find all of its mistakes. I do not recommend this program for students under 5th grade (It may be outdated.)
Anonymous N. Name
|
My son is a highly visual creative child but has ADD. He has no hyperactivity, but maintaining focus is a huge difficulty!
Why you liked/didn't like the book:
My son struggled with learning and maintaining focus during math work until we switched to SOS math. The approach is very visual and the lessons are reasonably short. We are in our 3rd year with SOS and plan to use it again next year. The difference in his willingness to stick with it and his increased ability to focus with this program is almost miraculous! I do agree with some posts that SOS has some computer glitches and we have had to deal with those during these three years. However, these problems seem very minimal to me compared to the progress my son has made with math.
Any other helpful hints:
I recommend supplementing with manipulatives. My son likes to use Cuisenaire rods with SOS. This program is certainly not for every child. My middle child burst into tears when I tried SOS with her and is much happier with BJU math.
Karen Marie
|
Your situation:
Homeschooling 4 at different levels.
Why you liked/didn't like the curriculum:
Love it!!! Of course there are computer glitches and of course there are things that you don't like but these can easily be worked around. The great part is that I control how many attempts they have, I can unassign lessons or problems. With 4 kids it relieves a lot of time from grading. You do need to take the time to explain problems sometimes, but it takes less time than teaching the entire concept, it is more like expanding on it, or clarifying. I would not use this for remedial learners, there is not enough repitition in basic skills. This frees me up to teach more history and english together.
Any other helpful hints:
Find a friend who has this and view it. SOS will send you a sample CD, but it does not give you a good idea of what each grade level covers and how it is presented. You can get a scope and sequence on their website and compare it to other curriculums.
Side note: I am not fond of other subjects in SOS, especially history.
Kim Garroutte
|
Your situation:
I was homeschooled in 3rd and 4th grade.
Why you liked/didn't like the book:
I used SOS in 4th grade, and i loved it. I went to school the next year, now I am in 8th grade and I'm using the program again. I Nothing makes sense, the grading system doesn't work properly, and it's too hard to catch up if i fall behind. Math doesnt make any sense, they'll teach me something that my highschool friends don't even know, then they just "taught" me how to subtract fractions. DO NOT buy this program! It is ridiculous. 1 out of 10
Braeden
|
I went to homeschool just to try it out for a few years.
I took the math and I was extremely disapointed. My dad thought the same. There were constant errors and they did not explain how to do the math. I needed help a lot, unlike the other subjects, and it was confusing. When you fall behind it is very frustrating and hard to catch back up. The history, science, and language arts were acceptable but not worth the money. I would not recomend the the spanish or math. I get stressed a lot in those subjects. There is a lot of stressing in the other subjects, but primarily those two. I'd highly recomend this for people who can handle perfect answers and having to read to learn. You also have to sometimes look on the internet like crazy. I think this is my last year of homeschool. SOS made me not like homeschool. I loved it at first, got used to it, then fell behind and hated it. Like I said you fall behind, you stay behind. I give this program a 4 out of 10. Some parents may think that is a low score, but just take a year of it and you will agree.
Any other helpful hints:
Pick the language arts and science. I give them an 8 out of 10. Science has a lot of cool facts.
Harry Goodman
|
| Grades:7th |
Time: few years |
Hello, I am am Reed Gallman I am in 7th grade. I Use A program called Switched-on-School house by Alpha Omega Publications(AOP) At first i was in love with it. Then i fell behind .NO TIME TO CATCH UP. This program is a errored and I DO NOT recommend it AT ALL
Reed Gallman
|
| Grades:8th and 9th grades |
Time: full semester |
I homeschool four children. All four are using SOS this year
Why you liked/didn't like the book:
I was really surprised at the answers here!! My daughter, who has struggled in Math for years, usually getting C's and D's is now pulling an A in math on SOS. She has truly benefitted from the visual process used by SOS. The ability to try three times to get the correct answer has truly helped her see where she is making errors and fix them quickly. The immediate grading of the problems prevents her from carrying an error throughout an entire lesson without catching it. This child, who struggled with long division, is now doing pre-algebra and doing great!! Yes, there are times when the program does something wrong, but it is a computer program. Since I no longer have to plan, teach, and grade, I can spare the few minutes to work through a problem with the program. The minor glitches are quite liveable, now that I have more time to interact with my students and work through it with them.
Any other helpful hints:
SOS has given me the opportunity to stay on track with all four children. It has given the children a better grasp on the material, with better retention (we have used AOP lifepacs in the past as well). I have taught in schools, and homeschooled for 9 years. Not one curriculum met all my expectations. Many had problems that I needed to fix before I taught, SOS is just one of them. For what it offers me as a homeschool mom, I can handle the few glitches that come along.
Mary Fuller
|
| Grades:8th and 9th grades |
Time: 2 years |
My daughter is academically gifted, has always loved and done well in math and loves the computer curriculum that SOS provides. She likes working on her own, enjoys the technology, and prefers the computer over the notebook.
My daughter did not like Alpha Omega SOS math in 8th grade. She has liked it far less in 9th grade. The math curriculum has frequent glitches and errors in answers. This takes time for me to find the problem, correct it through Teacher, and it is aggravating for both of us. Also, there are more and more frequent occurrences of a new skill being introduced and then the student is supposed to figure out the applications of that skill with no examples of how to do it. This has become so frustrating that it has thrown my academically gifted daughter into a tailspin. We actually had to go for outside help at one point. Also, in long equations where there is not enough room on one line the curriculum will just arbitrarily drop part of the equation to another line leaving student and teacher to figure out what is going on. Though we now know this to be the case, it still creeps up and surprises us sometimes. In a day where my ninth grade daughter is balancing a packed high school schedule of English, Math, Social Studies, Sciences, Bible, Spanish and High School Health, she just doesn't have time for such frustration. She has fought this all year and has still carried a straight A average, but we won't do SOS Math again.
Any other helpful hints:
Look a long time before you make a decision. We used AO Lifepacs all the way through elementary school with Horizons Math, and my daughter loved AO. As a matter of fact, when we tried public school for three years she was far ahead of those in her class. She was so well prepared and loved every subject. But she has had a miserable year this year with SOS Math, and we are looking for another math curriculum.
Barbara Johnson-Clark
|
This program did not work well with my son who is very computer savvy. There was not a lot of review and there was definite frustration with having to type in all the answers and not getting any hand's on written practice. Someone else mentioned that you can print out the pages. We chose to use a simple workbook in the middle of the year. That helped tremendously and my son began to enjoy math. This program may work for some, but I was dissappointed.
Kelly Berry
|
My daughter struggles with math, I thought this computerized format might be the answer. Unfortunately it was not. There were way too many errors in the answers which increased her frustrations. Because this system "grades" your work it was too much for her to deal with knowing she had and answer correct but the answer in their automatic grading key told her she was wrong and in turn lowered her grade.
Lisa Lindsey
|
| Grades:7 |
Edition: 2.0 |
Time: 1 year |
This program did not work well for my son, but may work well for others. We found many instances where concepts were introduced in one lesson, then never mentioned again until the unit test. (I.e. no review) Also, the explanation of new concepts was not always clear. There would be a problem sample in the text, but the actual problems in the work contained different components that were never explained. For example, dividing fractions. The sample problem might show division of two proper fractions. The problems in the work area would show division of improper and mixed fractions, with never an explanation of how to work these. Some children may be able to make these "jumps". Mine could not, and would get very frustrated. He also
said that he didn't like doing math on the computer but preferred to see it written on paper. (We ended up printing out a lot of his math lessons, which is a viable option.)
Laurie Knight
|
Reviews of Switched on Schoolhouse from HomeschoolReviews.com (the complete curriculum)
Go back to homeschool mathematics curricula list
|
FREE math homework help on www.PhatMath.com
-
40 Math forums for grades K-12 & College
-
Post/view math problems & solutions
- Blogs for students, parents, teachers
- Learn subtraction concept
- fact families
- memorize basic facts
- word problems
- colorful pages.
- download & print.
Self-teaching worktext.
Download today!
|
|
