Math Rider - Review

 

My kids LOVE computer games. They don't love math facts. We were given the chance to review Math Rider a computer game that manages to blend both wonderfully.

Math Rider is a game that helps children (or adults if you want to brush up on your math facts) master the core foundation math facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It is designed for children 6-12 but if they know enough math facts (addition) and can use a computer then it could be used for younger children.


Jam and Boo are 12 and 10 they are pretty good at math however like most children I know they could do with brushing up on their math facts.

They love playing on a website that comes with soft furry animals (I am sure you know the one). So I really hoped this program would be a good fit. Guess what...I know my kids pretty well they LOVED it.

The day we got the program it was too late for them to test it out. We have pretty strict parental controls on their laptop's and so I wanted the tech man in the house aka Dad to be the one to download and install the program. I promised them by morning it would be ready to go.

I work from home in the wee hours of the morning and when I came upstairs the next day this is what I saw...

To put this in perspective it is 6:30am and they stayed this way (yes including the little one) until I told them we had to get on with our day.

This is a YouTube video showing more about Math Rider.

My kids have played it everyday (I think even weekends) for the last month. I have noticed a HUGE improvement in the speed in which they are remembering their math facts.

The game is individual to each child, they have their own log in and as they play the game learns what the 'rider' knows and what they need to learn. Every answer or lack of answer is stored in the database and analyzed by the software so the 'rider' is always learning. Therefore each child practices what they need to practice.

There is also a tracking area so I can see quickly how Jam and Boo are doing and how they have improved.

 

The game is set in the 'Land of Ray' the child rides a horse called 'Shadow'. The land is of course fantasy and the rider has a variety of quests to complete.

 

Each math operation 'Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division' has four quests. The rider completes each quest finding magical flowers, gems, and even rescues a princess.

 

As my kids completed quests and started new ones they found that the quests for each operation were the same. However the rewards were different. They loved collecting these rewards. This kept the game interesting and fun.

I often hear the older kids talking between themselves about a certain flower they have won, or gem they managed to return to the elves. 

What I love about this game is that the success of the rider (child) is based purely on math facts. If a five year old had learned enough facts to play the game his ability or lack of to maneuver a stick or press keys in a certain order would not affect his score. The rider is successful when he enters the correct math facts. That's it, hand-eye coordination is not needed. Having a son with Amblyopia that is important to me. Math facts are all you need to be successful.

I have been recommending this game to my friends and family so if you want to try it Math Rider offer a free FULL VERSION 7-day trial of their program. Click here to get information.

This program is available as an instant download to your computer and is supported on Windows and Mac OSX. Click here to find more specific information about requirements.

It is also a one-time purchase which I think is AWESOME no monthly fees.

You can buy it for $47.00 here.

It also comes with a risk free 30 day trial period. PLUS - FREE UPDATES FOR LIFE. So not only do you never have to purchase it again. If they make improvements or updates you get them too. A definite win-win if you ask me.

I asked Jam what he thought of the program after playing it everyday for a month he replied  "AWESOME". (and his sister agreed)

That sums up our thoughts nicely.

Check out what others on the Crew thought about Math Rider by clicking on the box below.

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