Microsoft Mathematics 4.0, for students in middle school, high school, and early college, shows how to solve equations while bolstering understanding of fundamental math concepts.
It features built-in Ink Handwriting Support, which lets you hand-write math problems and equations in a worksheet area on a tablet or ultra-mobile PCs for immediate solving or later work. The software also includes a graphing calculator capable of plotting in 2D and 3D, a movie editor, a library of formulas and equations, a triangle solver, and more.
from the article: "it's algebra, the academic subject that more than any other strikes fear in grown-ups' hearts. But these are 5th graders. And some are struggling learners.
The lesson is plenty rigorous, as you'll see.
But the kids get a useful assist from the "manipulatives," concrete objects -- pawns and blocks -- that support a program called Hands-on Equations. Kids use the objects to build and break down algebraic equations."