This is by far one of the coolest educational websites ever!
Mathletics from 3P Learning is a web-based K-8
th program that provides a full math curriculum with the added bonus of friendly competition.
The site boasts an impressive array of over 750 learning games that walk students through various math concepts in a fun, step-by-step manner. Children create their own custom Avatars (think "
Wii" with a purpose!), get immediate feedback on their assignments, and earn points based on their score. These points are then used to buy various features for their Avatars. (I've always said shopping was the best way to do math!--
Hee hee) Children also receive printable Reward Certificates for a job well done.
Parents have the option of choosing what their students work on or give the child free-reign to work as he/she pleases. You also receive reports detailing your child's progress.
For those who enjoy putting pencil to paper,
Mathletics offers nifty workbooks in
pdf format, but just FYI--not all grade levels are available just yet. (They're working on it, though.)
In addition, Mathletics also offers students the chance to compete against other users from all across the globe in live races! (How cool is that?) This was the defining aspect of the program for my kids. They're all fiercely competitive and loved seeing their scores rise to the top.
Oh! One more thing. Just because they're competing against other users, doesn't mean they can actually "talk" to them. Complete online safety is one of the hallmarks of this program. Users cannot speak to one another, so you don't have to worry about some weirdo yakking to your child through this site. (Very cool!)
A subscription to Mathletics costs $59 per student per year. However, if you know what the Human Calculator's favorite number is (Psssst! The answer's 9!), then you can subscribe for $49.95. They're incredibly pro-homeschooling and even offer a beefy, 6 page brochure on the subject here.
I must admit that the price was the *only bummer* about Mathletics. Our family simply cannot afford to spend $49.95 x 3 children, no matter how cool it is. However, I may consider it later on for Ethan who absolutely ADORED the program and hates to see our trial subscription end. Price may or may not be a factor for you, based on your family's income and personal preferences. But just so you know---if they decide to offer a family rate, I'm totally jumping on it!
Overall, I'd have to say that Mathletics is a super fun, super cool program. The graphics were superb, the instruction was effective and simple to understand, the use of avatars made for a fresh, relevant approach, and the consistent pattern of rewards made for a delightful, engaging time. To learn more about Mathletics, please click here.
We proudly award Mathletics 2 Snoopy dancin' thumbs up! :)
