The school where I work uses a program called Hands-On Equations to help students understand algebra concepts. This is my second year of helping students with this program, and I see some very real benefits. It was developed by Dr. Henry Borenson, and more information about the program can be found at www.borenson.com/.
Students use manipulatives to solve algebra equations. They begin with simple ones and progress to more complicated problems. They use a picture of a balanced scale and learn the rules for keeping it balanced; these are the same rules that are used for solving equations. This system enables students younger than those usually in algebra classes to begin to solve equations. And there are smart board programs available to go with the program. In my grade book, Hands-On Equations gets a an A!
