Math FactMaster

Although I am a big advocate of hands-on, experiential math learning, there are times when your kids just need to memorize some facts. We ran into this at our house this month. We have been using a very manipulative based math program that I love. My daughter, however, felt the time had come to memorize her multiplication tables more efficiently, and brush up on memorizing simple addition problems as well. At that point, it is difficult to make the process a lot of fun. Flashcards are about as fancy

as you can get. My daughter is also not into the shoot-em-up arcade games you can find. The Muncher programs are good, but for her they seemed a bit stressful. She needed a program where I could control the input for her. This program, although certainly not fancy, is doing the trick.

Math FactMaster has very basic graphics and sound. Don't expect much glitz and glamour. As the 'teacher' you can set the mastery level, the speed of the program, and the number of activities available. I liked this because I could give my daughter the time I felt she needed to have a successful experience. Later I can go in and shorten the length of time.

When you child signs in, they can choose from three 'activities.' I use the term loosely, because they are just simple animated graphics and not activities in the true sense of the word. Problems are flashed on the screen and read aloud. If your child gets the answer wrong, the correct answer is immediately flashed on the screen, and they are asked to type in the right answer. If they are right, the announcer says 'fact mastered' and the program moves on. As the problems are completed, a simple graphic on the side of the screen progresses. For example, in Coaster Master some animals move to the pinnacle of a roller coaster as problems are answered correctly. In Fact Racer, and animal moves along a race track to the finish line. These graphics

add a bit of flare, but are really nothing spectacular. They may be dull enough to discourage a child who is being 'forced' to use the program. In our case, the motivation is there already.

This program is not one I would recommend as a general math program. It has a specific purpose and is to be used to that purpose only. There is much beyond memorizing facts. If your child feels stressed when playing the Muncher, this may be a good alternative. It has worked for us, and is more efficient than timed drills on paper, and endless worksheets hoping the facts will eventually be memorized.

Grading for Math FactMaster

Educational Value: 4

Entertainment Value: 2 1/2

Replay Value: 3

Ages: Any needing basic fact mastery

 

Available from Curriculum Associates at www.curriculumassociates.com