Some of my kids enjoy doing math, and some don’t.  Despite their likes and dislikes, I hope all six of my children will be able to learn a good foundation in math.  For the past six weeks or so, two of my kids have been reviewing a computerized math game called Math Rider  and I have seen improvement in their skills already.  
                                           
Math Rider downloads right to your computer and is a fun way to practice math skills including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division from numbers 0 to 12.   The kids go on a journey “quest”.  They must hurry along the journey, answering math questions as fast as they can while their horse jumps obstacles.  If they answer correctly their horse jumps the obstacles and speeds along the journey.  If they answer incorrectly, the horse slows down on the journey, they are given the correct answer, and travel along at a slower pace. 

Here is a short video clip with more information about Math Rider.  You can also check out more free Math Rider videos on You Tube.

                

Math Rider is geared for children in 2nd grade through 6th grade.  It retails for $47 for a home license. It can be used with up to 8 children in the same household. It is also available for school license too. No need to worry about it becoming obsolete because Math Rider will send you free updates to the program for life. You can try before you buy with the free 7 day trial offer.

Math Rider is available for both Windows and Mac computers. System requirements for Windows:
2.33GHz or faster x86-compatible processor or Intel® Atom™ 1.6GHz or faster processor for netbooks
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home, Professional, or Tablet PC Edition with Service Pack 3; Windows Server® 2003; Windows Server® 2008; Windows Vista® Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise (including 64-bit editions) with Service Pack 2; Windows 7; or Windows 8
512MB of RAM (1GB recommended)
Minimum display resolution: 1024 by 768 

                

Our Experience

Each morning my 8 year old and 12 year old spend time playing and learning math with Math Rider.  

                        

The 8 year old really enjoys playing on the program and looks forward to doing it each day.  The 12 year old has been a willing participant, and has sharpened his math skills, but he isn’t as excited about it as his younger brother.  He is entering the “twilight zone”, I mean “teen zone” and likes a lot of special effects.

                        

I was able to select the difficulty level for each of the boys.  I could choose from easy, medium, difficult, and master skill levels.  They can choose to do a practice run before they take the actual challenge.  The game keeps track of their progress for the actual challenges.  Once they complete a quest, we can click over to a new page and see their progress and mastery of numbers that they have practiced.  They really like to see their progress through the challenges.

                        

The game is interactive and changes speeds based on the answer time of the student.  If the student answers quickly and accurately the game speeds up, and it slows down after the student gives wrong answers. It also stops to show the student the correct answer when they get the answer wrong. 

                        

Here is what the kids have to say about this program.  

        From the 8 year old:  “It is fun to try to beat the clock before it runs out of time. 
        I have tons of fun doing the math on it.  My older brother has lots of fun too.      
        When I beat the clock, I move to the next level.  I love to get 100%.”

        From the 12 year old:  “It is a fun way to practice math, but I wish it had 
        more detail and special effects in the games to make it more exciting. I like 
        going on the journey, but I just want a little more interesting things to go along
        with it.”

        From Mom: “I am happy to see the kids want to work on their math skills.  
        I like that the program is challenging and interactive for them.  I think this is an 
        excellent way to encourage elementary grade students to practice math skills.”   

             

Be sure to stop in and read what others on the Schoolhouse Review Crew had to say about Math Rider.