As I jump into Algebra Solved! from Bagatrix, I am humbled. I was a straight-A student in algebra way, way, way back when. I've looked randomly at some of the sample problems in this tool, and I apparently have forgotten most of what I used to know. Sure, I can still solve word problems and do some basic algebra, but anything more complex is out of my reach — at least without putting in some study time.

Algebra Solved! is a program that lets you enter algebra problems and see them solved for you, step by step. I see this as being tremendously helpful in learning algebra — especially for the visual learner. I know in my school experience, I learned much better when I could see the material — not just hear it in a lecture. Further, as we all know, some textbooks are better than others. Sometimes the author will assume the student understands certain steps and just move along. Algebra Solved! shows each step. Nothing is skipped. Beyond that, in the program options, you can set the level of difficulty for the example problem as well as how detailed you want the response to be. If you just want the answer, select that option. If you just want to see the steps, you're good to go since that's the default. If you want an explanation of each step, pick how detailed of an explanation you want.

The example problems are organized in a couple of ways. Related topics are organized into chapters. If I'm looking for help in a specific area, I can go through the alphabetical list of topics or just do a regular old search. Beyond that, Algebra Solved! contains an extensive glossary that defines quite a wide range of algebra terms and has hot links in the definitions so that you can click on any of those words to see what they mean.

I don't think I would turn my child loose to do her homework with Algebra Solved! unsupervised. I think it would be awfully tempting for some students to go after the answer as soon as the work got a little frustrating. Working with a parent or tutor, however, this could be a powerful tool in explaining the concepts of a particular type of problem. With Algebra Solved! I, as the parent, would be able to generate a “cheat sheet” for myself that would allow me to help my daughter with her work. Since I can print any of the problems, I could theoretically enter select homework problems ahead of time and print the solutions. With those in hand, I wouldn't be tied to the computer to help.

The help area that comes with the program is done very well. By reading through the information provided, I can do everything from setting up a new notebook to hold my student's work in one file, how to enter an actual problem, doing a sample test and tracking performance data.

Say you have multiple children, or maybe you do tutoring and have multiple students. The program has a notebook system for organizing the data. Within each notebook (that you get to name), you keep all sample problems and work, tests, graphs and documents. When you save the notebook for that student, all of the associated work is saved at the same time. I think it's a great idea.

If we're working on a specific area, I can have Algebra Solved! generate a test for me. I pick the subject area first, set the difficulty level (beginner, intermediate or advanced) and can set the number of problems for each area of the test. I can print it and put my child to work. It even formats the test nicely to give the student room to work the problem. I can then take the finished test and, if I need to, go back to Algebra Solved! to get the correct answers. I can compare the program results with my child's results and see where things went right (or wrong).

My daughter is only in second grade now, but I know that algebra is out there, lurking on the horizon. Thanks to Bagatrix, I won't be caught flat-footed when algebra starts invading our home. I'll have the tools and thus the power to help her with math as the homework becomes more and more demanding. I'll be keeping in mind, too, that they aren't just a one-trick pony. From basic math through calculus, they can be a parent's best secret weapon in the homework arena. While the various programs average around $40 on the Bagatrix Web site, when I weigh the cost of the program against the potential stress and time spent on homework over the course of the average school year, I think it works out to be worth its weight in textbooks.