Friday, February 25, 2011

TOS Review: Math Rider Math Game

Math fact drills and learning math facts "quick as snap" has always been a struggle for my oldest son. One day he will know certain facts quickly then the next day forget those facts while remembering completely different facts. This struggle has slowed his progress in higher level math operations. I have tried everything from flash cards, manual writing of math facts, online math games; you name it and I have probably tried it with my oldest son who is 9 years old.


When I found out I would be reviewing the Math Rider math game as a part of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew I was excited. Any opportunity to review math facts in a fun way in this house is always a welcome addition.


Math Rider is a fun math fact drill game with a horse jumping over jumps or "poles" when a correct answer is provided. If an incorrect answer is provided for a particular jump or no answer is given the horse and rider stop at that jump and a very clear speaking narrator says the math sentence along with the correct answer. Math problems in which your child gave incorrect answers are added later in that same horse race to try and reinforce the correct answer and help your child learn while having fun. Each horse race is known as a "quest". You have the option of customizing your quest difficulty level as well as the moth drill covered. For example, for one child you can set them on an easy addition quest while another "rider" or child can drill advanced multiplication facts. At the end of each quest child and parent alike can review the math fact drill mastery from that quest. The mastery section is set in a grid format and color coded to make reviewing accomplishments and math fact progress quick and easy.


I found Math Rider to be a wonderful learning tool for not only my 9 year old but also my 6 year old son. My 9 year old is able to use this game to drill his addition and subtraction facts that tend to "escape" his memory conveniently while doing math assignments. Math Rider also helps my oldest to further memorize his multiplication and division facts. The program adjusts the the child's answering speed. For example, if your child regularly answers the math questions quickly, the poles or jumps will be spaced closer and closer to provide further challenge to your learner. My 6 year old also enjoyed playing Math Rider. He knows his addition and subtraction facts but this game provided him with a fun opportunity to play, learn, and complete quests. I should note that in the beginning I had to help my 6 year old son with the input of answers portion of this game. I would ask him the math sentence that appeared at the bottom of the screen and he would give me the answer after which I wold type in the answer for him. Personally, I saw no need for him to get frustrated with this game simply because he could not type on my laptop quick enough despite clearly knowing the correct answer. As time progressed he got better about typing the answers on his own. Again, I really enjoyed the mastery grid function on Math Rider that allowed me to review their progress and make notes of math facts that my boys were struggling with.


Another wonderful feature about Math Rider is the practice arena. You can have your child practice any number of math facts before beginning or moving on to the formal riding quests. If you know your child is particularly weak in a certain math fact area, for example multiplication facts with 12 then you could have your child practice multiplying 12's before starting a multiplication quest that includes facts through 12.


From the publisher: 
Ride your horse on noble quests through the magical MathLands. MathRider combines fun game play with a highly sophisticated question engine that adapts to your child. The game propels your child to mastery of all four math operations using numbers 0 to 12.


Have your child master addition, subtraction, multiplication and division all for the cost of less than 1 hour professional private tuition!
  • You will know when your child has completely mastered an operation. And more importantly, your child will know it, too!
  • This is the fastest way to mastery of all four math operations. The artificial intelligence rehearses what is needed most, at a rate that is tailored to each player.
  • The game recognises and rewards improvement, not just perfection. This builds confidence and propels children naturally towards complete mastery.
  • Noble quests exemplify positive values such as family, caring, honesty and kindness.





Pricing information: 
Download for $37 with a 30 day money back guarantee

Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew I was provided with a limited download version of this product for free in exchange for my honest opinion and review. No other form of compensation was received for this review.
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