My Take
This is my daughter's review of the product(grade 7):
I don't like to be rude, but I HATE imagine math. It's picky about how many questions you can get wrong before you fail a lesson, it's "helpful videos" don't help at all, the questions are worded so complex that I need to analyze that before I can even think about the math! When I leave the site to look up help, it sets a timer and signs me out before I can solve the question. As for the "direct teacher help", I have to fail at least 6 lessons before it will actually send a teacher. The teacher is a robot sometimes that keeps introducing themselves. The lessons teach you one thing and then move on before you can actually learn how to do it. It's almost as if it's saying, "You failed this. Congrats, you're dumb. Next lesson..." It does not teach on the subject that we are learning in school, and right now, we are learning about negative numbers but imagine math is teaching me about interest. Overall, imagine math is not even close to a good math website to use.
How I Use It
I do not/would not use this product if I taught math. I homeschooled my kids and used a different software(Ixl) it was very linear and we could move in it as we liked with a clear path of where the kids were and where they were headed. This is assigned by my daughter's teacher and I cannot see where her doing compound interest on a loan helps, when in class they are working on negative integers(throws hands up). If she passes a lesson(usually with my help) it moves her on to more advanced work...sometimes this isn't ANYWHERE near what she is currently working on. I have NEVER seen this 'teacher help' that they say is offered(and this is our second tortuous year with the product). The help she gets if she gets an answer wrong is NOT helpful...the videos are horrible and just as difficult to understand as the question. (face palm). I understand as both a teacher and a parent that it is hard to get kids to remember how to apply what you are teaching, however, I would use some software I could control what the kids are exposed to and how fast it paces them in the program. Some kids have others doing their work for them....just to move on....If I had to use it for grading, it would be considered bonus based on effort. Her teacher is wonderful and patient, this program does not help her with classwork though.