Every College Algebra textbook tries to explain how to factor trinomials, but they fail miserably. Why? Because there isn't a specific step-by-step way to do it, that's why.

Look at a typical algebra textbook. It gives one or two examples, and tells you what the answers are, but it doesn't really explain how you get them. It's like when I was a kid learning how to tie my shoes with the other kids. The adult told us to cross the laces, twist one underneath and pull, make a loop and hold it, then take the other lace and. do something. (This part I had a really hard time getting. Showing me once or twice definitely didn't help, nor did showing me shoes that were perfectly tied.) Eventually I got it, but that was after trying over and over again and asking if I'd gotten it right yet.

The same process holds true for factoring trinomials. There are guidelines for doing it, but no hard-and-fast steps to follow every time. The only way to learn it properly is to practice repeatedly, referring back to the guidelines, until you get it.

The Factoring Trinomials Cramlet™ has several features that make it effective where textbooks are not.

• The See Tutorial button gives a good overview of the techniques you can use to factor trinomials, walking you through an example complete with typical missteps until you find the correct answer. This tutorial is available at any time while you're running the Cramlet™.
• The New Problem button instantly gives you another problem to solve. Unlike some programs that use random number generation, though, all these problems actually have a solution so you're not wasting your time.
• This Cramlet™ also sports a Show Hints button, available at any time in the program, which displays the guidelines covered in the tutorial. These reminders are very helpful if you get stuck.
• Check my Answer takes your guesses, compares them with the correct answer, and tells which coefficients and signs you got right. This is really useful where you might pick the right numbers, but still get the wrong answer because you put the minus sign in the wrong place. You can keep trying and clicking this button until you get the problem right.

Factoring Trinomials is one of our most popular Cramlets™, and countless students have used it to master this concept. Of course, its best feature is that, unlike a textbook, it is available for free to every student who signs up for a free registration.