Friday, December 18, 2009

TOS Crew Review: Mathletics

Mathletics is a subscription math website for kids K-8. We were given a 45 day membership to try out Mathletics. Some of the features of subscribing to Mathletics include:
  • It is safe. There is no communication with your student or between students on the site.
  • Weekly reports are emailed to parents.
  • It covers all aspects of mathematics.
  • Step by step animated help is available when your student needs it.
  • Kids challenge each other real time in speed and skill.
  • It includes access to Rainforest Maths- lots more problems for practice
  • Curriculum information is provided and there are forms to download.
Mathletics has some features that appeal specifically to homeschoolers:
  • a personal mastery dial that tracks a student's daily progress
  • access to live mental challenges with students of similar ages and abilities
  • intelligent adaptiveness with most concepts with questions getting harder as a student answers correctly
  • immediate feedback on questions with help if the student needs it
  • students can work at their own pace through curriculum content
  • lots of rewards and certificates and the chance to be on the wall of fame
  • available anytime as long as their is internet access
Even my 4yo enjoyed the kindergarten level questions with some reading assistance.

Easy to read even for my 2nd grader.
Cost:
  • The regular cost is $99 per student per year.
  • There is a special running right now if you follow the directions for $49.95 per student per year.
Mathletics appealed to my kids because it's a novelty to spend time practicing math at the computer. They've had ample chances at it due to all of the products we've looked at through the Crew reviews.

The subscription to Mathletics includes access to Rainforest Maths. Anyone remember this free little site for math practice? Some time ago it was wrapped up with Mathletics and no longer free and my kids loved it. E11 loved the competition aspect and really enjoyed seeing his name up there on the wall of fame representing Team USA. He really enjoyed the algebra section of problems. R9 like the competition and the Rainforest Maths. I signed J4 up for the Kindergarten section and I'm happy to report he did really well. He said his favorite part was counting the money.

As the parent, you are able to switch around what grade level your child is in within the Mathletics curriculum so if they are moving ahead quickly or it's too easy or difficult, you can change which program they are using.

I think the biggest negative for Mathletics is the price. $99 per year per student is simply cost prohibitive for a homeschooling family particularly for a supplemental practice type program for kids. Great program, it's one of the ones I would love to use long term, but certainly not worth the cost of $400 a year for my family. Some folks thought that perhaps they would carve out that price so one student could participate. In my family that simply would not work. All of my kids want a chance to try their own problems.



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