IXL Reviews Homeschool and Demo - How to Use IXL Learning for Online Homeschooling

The speaker introduces the topic of using Excel as a part of an online homeschool curriculum. They promise to provide an honest review, highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of Excel. The service offers a range of subjects from pre-K to 12th grade, with additional courses in science and social studies available for a monthly fee. The speaker also mentions the flexibility of choosing individual subjects and the option to add Spanish for an extra charge. A 30-day money-back guarantee is offered to ensure suitability for the family.

This paragraph delves into the specifics of Excel's offerings, including the ability to choose between full packages or individual subjects like math or language arts. The speaker outlines the different pricing tiers and the additional features such as the inclusion of Spanish language courses. They also mention Excel's 30-day money-back guarantee and the various setup features, including a demo of the student section and a look at the parent's perspective, emphasizing Excel's utility for teachers and school districts as well.

The speaker describes the learning section of Excel, focusing on the math and language arts components. They explain the organization by grade level and topic, the availability of skills, lessons, and games, and the option to sort by topic or follow weekly plans. The paragraph also touches on the flexibility of the platform to cater to different educational needs, such as practicing specific skills like fractions, and the ability to view skill plans based on state standards or textbooks.

The speaker moves on to discuss the science and social studies sections of Excel, noting the availability of skills for kindergarten through eighth grade. They mention the absence of lesson buttons in the language arts section, suggesting that Excel serves more as a practice tool rather than a complete curriculum. The speaker also reassures that even without lessons, explanations are provided when a child answers a question incorrectly, aiding in understanding.

This section covers Excel's awards and analytics features. The speaker talks about the awards tab, where children's achievements in math and language arts are recognized, and the certificate center, which tracks progress and milestones. They also highlight the recommendations tab, which suggests skills for children to practice based on their activity, and the skill plans and state standards sections, which offer additional guidance for homeschooling parents.

The speaker introduces Excel's assessment tab, which includes a real-time diagnostics tool that differentiates Excel from other homeschooling programs. They explain how this tool provides insights into a child's progress in math and language arts, allowing parents to monitor their child's levels and trouble spots. The analytics tab is also discussed, which shows usage details, progress reports, and settings for different views.

The speaker shifts to the student's perspective, guiding viewers through the process of accessing lessons and skills in Excel. They demonstrate how to navigate the recommendations tab, skill plans, and the assessment tab, where students can answer diagnostic questions to determine their skill levels. The paragraph also includes a demo of the math and language arts sections, showing how scores increase with correct answers and how explanations are provided for incorrect ones.

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker summarizes their thoughts on Excel, highlighting the real-time diagnostics tool and the recommendations tab as favorites. They also appreciate the state standards section for its usefulness. However, they express concerns about Excel's focus on assessment over teaching and the lack of custom lesson plans. The speaker invites viewers to explore additional resources like test prep areas and the tutoring service offered by Why Is It, a division of Excel, and promises to review these features in future videos.