ACT Mom Online Class from ACT Mom Review

Disclosure:  I received this complimentary product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.

Did you know that ACT Mom offers test prep with the ACT Mom Online Class?  With more and more colleges accepting the ACT, this is a great way to prepare your high school students for this test.  And now that I have three high schoolers this year, I was super excited to review this course.

 

 

What is the ACT Mom Online Class?  This online, self-paced class is ~ 13 hours in length and helps students learn the ins and outs of the ACT.  It includes materials, streaming videos and practice questions.  Students can watch the videos over and over again as needed.  The goal of this class is to improve a students ACT score; thus, earning college scholarships!  While I feel a little late using this with A (12th grade), I still see benefit.  And I feel great with the timing for B (10th grade) and C (9th grade).

 

The ACT Mom Online Class is divided into four sections - Math, Science, Reading and English. 

 

Our Binder

After signing up for this course, a binder will be sent to your student in the mail.  I love this!  Organization is a big concept discussed and this really helps students start out with it.

Binder contents

Our binder includes graphing paper, pencil pouch with dry erase marker and sticky notes, and ACT practice tests in sheet protectors.  This is everything students will need to begin their class.  Students will be taking these practice tests using their dry erase marker multiple times.  They will learn to use the sticky notes to break down concepts and see patterns to questions that they miss.  I think it is a simple yet very effective strategy.  I also want to note that you can download the materials that are shipped as well.

 

As previously mentioned there are four sections - Math, Science, Reading and English (you can see them above).

 

 

Each subject is divided into multiple sessions with lecture videos, quizzes and additional resources.  Above you can see into the Math section.  Students are expected to take notes from the white board.

 

As you progress through the course, your progress bar will increase.

Remember, this is self-paced so how quickly your student finishes depends on how much time they spend on it in a day/week/etc.  I really love that the instructor (the ACT Mom) encourages each student to understand why they want to take this test or improve their score before they begin - is it to get a scholarship?  Something else?  The ACT Mom is very down to Earth and relatable and her videos are engaging and will keep students interested.  If you currently have high schoolers or will soon, we would definitely recommend the ACT Mom Online Class.

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CLEP and DSST Prep Material from Study.com Review

{Update:  Study.com now has a new and exciting online homeschool program.  They listened to numerous homeschooling parents and developed a curriculum package that fulfills their needs.  The curriculum is flexible, allows students to achieve dual credit, gives students the opportunity to learn non-traditional subjects like criminology, and offers additional resources like state-specific homeschooling laws.  I do not have any experience with this new program but I wanted to share it with you so that you could check it out.  I love the idea of an online dual credit option!}

As A is finishing up her freshman year of high school I have been thinking more about upcoming tests.  We recently received a 3-month subscription to Study.com to check out their CLEP and DSST prep materials.  If you don't know, CLEP  stands for College Level Examination Program.  This credit by exam program allows students to take tests and earn transferable college credits for a variety of subjects.  With over 1800 testing centers and 2900 college universities accepting CLEP credit it is a great option for many students.  It is often used by students who want to test out of basic credits or entry-level classes.  DSST (formerly DANTES Subject Standardized Tests) help members of the US Military earn college credit outside a traditional college setting by taking exams.

Some of the most popular CLEP prep courses include Biology, Natural Sciences, Introductory Business Law and Spanish Language

Study.com currently offers test CLEP prep courses for the following CLEP exams:  American Government, American Literature, Analyzing & Interpreting Literature, Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, College Algebra, College Composition Modular, College Composition, College Mathematics, English Literature, Financial Accounting, History of the United States I, History of the United States II, Human Growth and Development, Humanities, Information Systems, Introduction to Educational Psychology, Introductory Business Law, Introductory Psychology, Introductory Sociology, Natural Sciences, PreCalculus, Principles of Macroeconomics, Principles of Marketing, Principles of Microeconomics, Social Sciences and History, Spanish Language Levels 1 & 2, Western Civilization I and Western Civilization II.

A working on Biology CLEP prep course

A has almost completed her Biology course for this year!   We decided for her to work through the Biology CLEP prep course.  She has been steadily working through this prep course and she has really been enjoying it.  She has used our desktop and our Ipad for this program - both with no problems.  It is thorough and extensive and I love that the material is covered by professionals.  A enjoys that the material is explained really well within the videos.  She also really appreciates the analogies that are used to make the material make sense.  The course is designed to get you fully prepared for the CLEP exam.  There are tons of fun video lessons that are all followed by practice quizzes to test your comprehension.  A really appreciates this because it is helping her become comfortable answering questions similar to what she might see on an actual CLEP exam.  A also really likes the dashboard that keeps track of your progress and how you are performing.

Here you can see the screenshot of the lesson video about hydrophilic molecules.  The dashboard on the right shows you the chapter you are in as well as how many quizzes you have passed.

I love that you can find the information covered below the video.

Above you can see the Lesson Summary - A liked this feature

Here is an example of a practice exam score for A.  It tells A how many questions she answered correctly and how many she missed.  It also shows A her areas of strength and weakness which can really help when reviewing and drilling.

A really liked comparing her score to others.  She could see how she scored compared to others as well as how fast she completed the exam.

Another view of A's lesson dashboard further along in the course

This is a self paced course (not parent-intensive) and there are 238 available lessons within the Biology prep course that take an average length of 8 minutes each so this course has hours of preparation material.  I think it does a great job really preparing you for your exam.  Now that said, if a student has familiarity with the subject area already, they can skip lessons to focus on material that they are less familiar with.  There are also placement tests which can test students out of material that they already know within this course.  I think that's a really nice option.  I am having A work through the entire course for reinforcement and knowledge but students definitely don't have to do this!  There are flashcards to help students really drill the material home.  We really like this feature as well.  I'm hoping you can tell from the photos above that this site is very user friendly, organized and laid out really well.  So to sum it up - these courses are great for earning college credit through the CLEP and DSST programs, they can be used as a study program or as needed for review or even supplements to an additional program (how we are approaching this with A).  Although, we might have her take the CLEP test after completing this program.

Want to try out Study.com for yourself?  Use Coupon Code:  The Old Schoolhouse to save 20% on the first three months of your subscription to their CLEP and DSST prep resources!  We will definitely be checking out more of their courses.

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