Category: Math

2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, Critical Thinking and Logic, Education, Homeschool, Math

Smartick Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Let me start this review off by saying WE LOVE SMARTICK!! Words can not express how much my son and I both love this online math program!! Like seriously this math online program from Smartick ranks #1 for this schools years best supplemental math resources. When your student is asking to do his math you know you have found something special.

Smartick is no ordinary app it looks at math from a totally different methodology using problem solving and critical thinking skills to teach children. Smartick is for children ages 4-14 and the company is award winning and delivers results.

Each session is only 15 mins long and students should practice everyday in order to see steady growth. We did occasionally skip a day in between in the beginning but now Smartick is a part of our daily math routine. The program does readjust as your child progresses so if it sees mastery in a skill it will automatically readjust the leveling. I personally was very intrigued by the companies use of logic and reasoning skills to teach math. I love how kids are encourage to look at math in a different way then just using traditional math calculations using this online program.

At first glance my son he wasn’t too sure about it. Smartick starts the kids off with an assessment so it will place them in the correct level. The assessment may take a few sessions if the platform senses the child may be in between levels. Once the proper level is assessed the student begins their practice.

One of the things I really appreciated is that no where on the dashboard area does the child see grade level status. I think this is huge plus for children and parents who have anxiety about grade leveling. When my son first started playing I noticed some skills seemed easy for him but then I also noticed skills that were more difficult. I like this mixed skills because I feel that builds confidence. Can I say THANK YOU Smartick for mental math practice! The mental math practice is so present in Smartick that I could just huge the creators. My son has shown rapid growth in his mental math skills and his recall speed.

The skills sets are broken down into 10 areas and within those areas there are several skills When you click on the each the progress details it breaks down into smaller skill sets within the topic areas and you can see more detail progress. Students work through a series of problems and earn ticks to use to buy items in the their worlds. Students are also given opportunities to go back and correct any questions they may have missed at the end of their session to earn a tick. After the students finish their session they can go work in the Smartick Brain area where all the fun games are located. My sons favorite games were Chameleon and Rush Hour.

Smartick Brain Games are also listed in 4 areas of play:

  • Memory
  • Reasoning
  • Attention
  • Flexibility

The parent dashboard gives you detailed information about your students practice sessions, rewards and skills assessed. You also receive email reminders if your student didn’t complete a daily session. Once a student completes a session an email is generated out detailing exactly how your student performed and what they worked on. Smartick also records the time spent on each session as well as the average speed the student took in each area. Students also earn diplomas as they work through the platform.

There are so many wonderful things I can write about Smartick and how it really works with the child and eases math anxiety and improves math skills. Smartick offers a 15 day free trial and as a follower you can receive an exclusive 25% discount on your first subscription by using our referral code (MAMABR8B7369). The app is available on IOS and has been rated as Apple’s number one educational app for Ipad. This is screen time well spent and I highly recommend.

Be sure to check out the other Crew members review on Smartick by clicking the banner below.

Until the Next Time,

Mom


Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Smartick
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smartickmethod?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smartick/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD_f6FMb0X1QDp5j7puQh1Q

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2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, Education, Math, Reviews

Online Times Alive Review

Little Learner and Mom

My son has been asking for months to learn multiplication and I was a little skeptical because we had just finished learning his math facts to 20 and wasn’t sure he was ready for such a big leap. We received a 6 month subscription from City Creek Press, Inc for their Online Times Alive program which was perfect timing for us to start working on multiplication.

Memorizing multiplication facts can be boring and, for some students, difficult, but with the Online Times Alive subscription from City Creek Press, Inc. students learn math facts by watching videos and practicing math facts. Online Times Alive is based upon the best seller book Times Tables the Fun Way. With colorful characters, songs and catchy rhymes this program was huge hit with my son.

We were given access to both the online version and the app version available on IOS 9 or higher. My son enjoyed playing on both versions. I added Online Times Alive to our daily routine during our math lessons. When students first start the are offered a pretest to take to see what their current multiplication knowledge, you can by pass this pretest if your student has no knowledge. Students will learn multiplication facts from 0-9 in fun lessons. Each lesson follows this pattern:

  • Movie
  • Song
  • Quiz
  • Paint
  • Test (every 4th lesson)
  • Progress Check (reviewing the previous 4 lessons)

There is a wonderful student progress dashboard that records all your students data and allows parents to clear data of any lesson that they would like their child to repeat. What I am liking about the program is the catchy rhymes. My son is also an auditory learner and those catchy rhymes have been a huge hit with him remembering the answers. He has done so well with the program that I went ahead and purchased him a multiplication book for him to work in at his own leisure and Online Times Alive has made learning multiplication a breeze. He asks to play all the time even outside of our math lessons.

The Online Times Alive can be used by more than one student on the same computer. Being able to use it with more than one student is wonderful option for large families. The cost is $9.95 per month with a one time sign up fee of $6.95 that is charged upfront (Use the code lovetolearn to waive the sign up fee).  Cancel at anytime.)You can use it on both Mac and PC and the app is available on IOS of 9 on both iPad and iPhone there are two versions the lite and the full version.

I am very happy we were able to review this program, because I was really trying to figure out a fun way to introduce multiplication to my son. Online Times Alive really takes the stress out of learning multiplication. It allows the student to go at their own pace and build confidence.

Be sure to check out the other Crew Reviews of Online Times Alive from City Creek Press, Inc by clicking the banner below.

Until the Next Time,

M

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearnMultiplication/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TimesTablestheFunWay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citycreekpress/

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Education, Homeschool, Math

CTCMath Review

Little Learner and Mom

Math is one of the areas I tend to have anxiety about every school year. This year my son is trying out lessons using CTCMath‘s full math curriculum and I love that we have access to all grade levels with the Family Membership. We were given a 12 month subscription from CTCMath and has been working out great.

As a homeschooling mom it is very important that my son is mastering his early math skills . One of the things I am liking about CTCMath‘s full math curriculum is that it is very detailed and I can see exactly what he is learning in the parent dashboard. There is clear breakdown of each skill area and it’s not just one part of the skill it’s the entire spectrum from start to end. While I know my son loves playing math platforms that have a lot of games and graphics, with CTCMath your child receives a a full lesson of learning without added distractions.

When a student starts any lesson there is an instructional video. Students have the option to re-watch the video before moving on to the actual lesson to demonstrate their understanding. Parents can customize tasks for their student or work the lessons as CTCMath has laid out for their grade. In our case I took advantage of both options because I knew there were skill sets I wanted him to work on for extra practice. Having the ability to fluctuate between grade levels is also a plus because if their skills that your student didn’t quite grasp in the previous year you can have them work that skill.

The parent dashboard is really your best friend in CTCMath because it allows you to be in full control of what and how much your student is learning. . One of things I am really loving is the Question Bank Wizard this feature is EXCELLENT! I love this feature sooo much because I can customize targeted questions for my son. This feature is like breath of fresh air because you can seriously work this to your advantage. You can set the number of questions you want your student to do, time limit and skill type. Then once you generate it you can preview your questions and edit them by adding or deleting questions that may not work. There is even an option to spread the difficulty leveling across your questions. The Question Bank Wizard can be printed or added to task for your student to do on the computer.

So here is the breakdown CTCMath‘s full math curriculum 12-month Family Membership, for up to 5 students will cost your family $148.50 for the year . You will have access to all levels up to Calculus. CTCMath is multi award winning full math curriculum . Parents have complete autonomy of their students learning. You can your students take diagnostic test that will give a you a good idea where your student is academically. There are speed skills for fact and time tables student are encourage to beat their previous scores. There helpful how to videos for parents and detailed instructional lesson videos for the students. Parents have the options to print lessons or assign lessons for their students The Question Bank Wizard feature provides parents the ability to design questions especially for their student . CTCMath‘s full math curriculum can be used as a stand alone curriculum or as a supplement, children are allowed to work at their own pace. Each student can have their own personal login separate from the parents.

We give CTCMath‘s full math curriculum a thumbs up for being a great math curriculum. If you are homeschooling multiple children the price alone will save you hundreds of dollars. You can use this as a supplement or as your spine curriculum.

Be sure to check out the other Crew Reviews of CTCMath‘s full math curriculum by clicking the banner below there are a lot mamas who also agree with me this one is a winner.

Until the next time,

Mom and J

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ctcmath/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ctcmathofficial
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/ctcmath/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWn5e6974bpIEAe46VnovZw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ctcmath/

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Education, Homeschool, Language Arts, Math, Parenting, Reviews

Dyslexia Gold Review!!

Little Learner and Mom

“Some links may contain affiliate links. This does not change the cost to you, but helps me keep this blog running.”

Dyslexia Gold generously provided us with a family license and to Dyslexia Gold Full Bundle. This is an engaging program for children who have dyslexia. There are not many online programs that are geared to children who have dyslexia and that is why Dyslexia Gold is unique in its design. The platform is child focus and evidence based learning.

My son does not have dyslexia , but we found this program to be of great use for him for providing him more practice with his reading fluency, spelling and math. The slowed down pace and the auditory components are wonderful. The Dyslexia Gold Full Bundle included Engaging Eyes, Fluency Builder, Spelling Tutor and Times Table Tutor. Each of the platforms has student reporting so parents can adjust and review what their students have been working on and how they are improving.

We have been working a lot in the Spelling Tutor that is an area my son needs the most work in these days. I love how the Spelling Tutor has the students to grab a paper and pencil and then they listen to the auditory and then they correct their sentence. The spelling tutor works on sentence structure spelling and grammar, the program using dictation as a way to teach spelling.

The Engaging Eyes area ask the kids to focus on an object and track it. Now if you have a younger reader you know sometimes they have a tendency to get distracted by pictures on a page they are reading then they stall with their reading have to track back. The engaging eyes helps improve this issue in both they child with dyslexia and the child without it. I have seen improvement in my sons reading over time he isn’t as distracted when reading.

The Fluency Builder is excellent, I mean that will all seriousness my son has been flying through books since he has been using the fluency builder and his reading comprehension is even sharper. The Fluency builder also works on phonics, speed and segmenting. The struggling reader and dyslexic child will definitely see great improvements.

The Times Tables Tutor is a life saver. We have worked a little on beginners times tables but nothing concrete. I was a little apprehensive about letting him try it out , but to my surprise my son LOVES MULTIPLICATION! He said this made it easier for him to understand and it was fun practicing . I think one the things that made this easy for him is that the program uses legos to teach the students the concept.

So here is the breakdown, parents will see improvement of 12 months if students use the program on average of 10 hours a month playing 15 mins per day. The program is geared towards ages 7 to 11 years that are at least 1 year behind. The program as I have said can be used with struggling readers and those who would like to review skills. The program was created for children who have dyslexia.

The cost of Dyslexia Gold is discounted by 20% for Homeschoolers. Our family was given the Dyslexia Gold Full Bundle family license. Dyslexia Gold also offers a Dyslexia Screen Test at a low cost as well. If you have a child with dyslexia or even just struggling with reading I highly recommend checking out the Dyslexia Gold Full Bundle from Dyslexia Gold.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DyslexiaGold/

Be sure to check out the other Schoolhouse Crew Review members of Dyslexia Gold.

Until Next Time,

Mom

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Education, Giveaways, Homeschool, Math

Matific Galaxy Giveaway!!!!!

Little Learner and Mom

Hey everyone we loved Matific Galaxy so much that we teamed back up with the company to host a giveaway for our followers. If you missed my review on Matific Galaxy check it out here. Three lucky families will receive a single grade one-year subscription to Matific Galaxy for one child .

How to enter:

  • Follow @littlelearnerandmom and @matificgalaxy on Instagram. Like and Save the post…extra entries if you share!
  • Download the Matific Galaxy app for FREE and try the first planet of games (level) without paying. 
  • Leave a review on one of Matific Galaxy apps in the Apple app store and Google Play store.
  • Email a screenshot of the review or rating along with the Grade level and platform (Android or iOS) make sure you include Little Learner and Mom in the subject to athufa@matific.com !

Once you have followed all the steps you are entered to win!!! The winners will be chosen July 16th, 2019 at 9am ET!

Good Luck!

Mom and J

FTC Disclaimer The majority of products featured on my channel have been purchased by me. At any time a product has been provided to me by a company for a review or as an affiliate or I enter into a partnership with a company. I will disclose it in the video and/or description. Amazon affiliate links are provided for your convenience at no additional charge to you. All opinions and reviews that I share are always entirely my own.

2nd Grade Curriculum, Education, Homeschool, Math

Matific Galaxy Review

Little Learner and Mom

Matific is multi awarding winning company. The company is geared towards grades K-6. The curriculum is fully aligned with national math standards. Matific is unique because it’s designed to reduced anxiety math and build confidence. Kids move at their own pace so their is no pressure to hurry and master a skills.

We have tried many online platforms in the past and the all were lacking in some areas and eventual my son lost his interest. With Matific Galaxy my son has continued to ask to sign on, there is a interactive parent and student dashboards. The student dashboard has several different planets. Each planet concentrates on target skill level such as money, geometry, counting, addition and subtractions. The child will engage in 6 activities on each planet they must show mastery of each skill before they are are allowed to move on to the next planet skill. There is a bad guy alien that shows up and gives the kids that competitive edge to keep playing.

The company recommends that students play a minimum of 45 minutes a week 3 days a week. My son has been playing on average 45mins-60 mins a week. The parent dashboard is one of the best I have ever seen in a learning platform. The platform offers parents a clear diagnostic of what my son has been working on and exactly what he needs more practice. The Parent zone breaks down each area the of skill and assigns a percentage for each skill and then an overall percentage for all area assessed. The company gave us subscription that allows me to be able to have my son work at multiple grade levels. For the summer I decided to have him work the 1st grade level 2 days a week and 2nd grade 1 day a week. Having him do this and using the parent dashboard has allowed me to see what I need to concentrate on more this summer to help him be prepared for his 2nd grade math curriculum.

One the areas I know my son needs improvement is counting money and making change. One of the planet games has area where the kids are at a movie theater and they are buying snacks and other treats my son really loved this activity. I loved the fact that it was combining real life lessons in a fun way. I have defiantly seen an improvement in my son money skills while he has been playing Matific Galaxy. This would be a great resource for parents to use year round because it really helps your students to stay on top of their math skills and improve them.

So lets talk cost for a single grade is $19.99 for 70 plus activities for a full K-6 access (I recommend) the cost is $39.99 for 500+ activities this cost is per student for the year. There is sibling discount of 25% for larger families. The platform is available on desktop and Apple Store and Google Play. This is a great math program for your student, you can also try out it for free with limited game access as well. I highly recommend you try it out today!

Be sure to check out the rest of the Crew members reviews on Matific Galaxy an online math resource

Until Next Time,

Mom

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MatificGalaxy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matificgalaxy/

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