RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., Oct. 7, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- eTAP, a non-profit electronic Teaching Assistance Program, today formally launched the most affordable online home teaching aide on the market.
Aimed primarily at the rapidly growing number of parents who choose to help educate their children at home, eTAP offers a quality K-12 curriculum, including math, English, science and American history on its website, www.etap.org.
eTAP is offering the complete curriculum package for $8.99 per month, or $75 annually, for the first 30 days as an introductory subscription.
During its three-year online development period, the web site has experienced approximately 30,000 visits per month from interested parents and educators, according to Blaise J. Subbiondo, president of eTAP, Inc., a California non-profit public benefit corporation.
"We currently provide more than 40,000 pages of quality content in our program, with links to another 40,000 pages on other Internet sites. New content, which complies with all state educational standards, is continually being added so that all core subjects will be available in the next year," he said.
"Our easy-to-understand, easy-to-navigate instructional program includes a complete set of lesson plans, instructions, practice exercises, problems and test questions from standardized exams," he said. "All subjects are organized by grade level and topic, making it fast and easy for parents to find the elements they need."
"Parents benefit by the ability to more easily track their students' progress and in helping them study, and by the low-cost monthly fee," he said. Parents also have easy access to instruction and teaching aides such as practice exercises, handouts and lesson plans.
"Our program allows students to work at their own pace, use practice exercises to gain understanding and generally reduce stress in their learning environment," he said, adding that "parents will notice improvements in their children's test scores."
Early users of the program are encouraged by the eTAP concept:
"The instructional design strategy of eTAP's lessons demonstrates attention to instruction, enrichment, practice and assessment," said Rhea Stewart, a veteran curriculum developer and parent.
"As a mother, I appreciate the no-nonsense instructions. My son has been having a problem with decimals. Tonight he got it!" said a parent in Darling, S.C.
"Everything he needs to know is right at our fingertips," said a parent of a 6th grade child with learning disabilities in Charlotte, N.C. "The material is thorough, easy to follow, interesting and straightforward. I think we'll actually have fun with math. It is fantastic."
"I found the site to be very user-friendly and easier to navigate than most mainstream educational sites," said a California education consultant. "There are no banners, pop-ups or cluttering images. The registration process is simple and quick."
eTAP is headquartered at 30021 Tomas, Ste. 300, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. 92688. Phone: (949) 709-3133. Web site: www.etap.org. Email: customer_service@etap.org.