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May 15, 2003
Adding It Up with Elementary Math Programs
By Nancy Tassler
Two adventure-themed programs plus one smart toy equal three interactive math tools for the K-6 crowd.
Computer math programs have long helped students refine their computation skills in a low-risk environment offering feedback and automatic assessment. The latest titles continue that tradition, blending stimulating graphics and gaming features while also meeting today's increasing demands for demonstrated math achievement. The first two in our lineup — Sunburst's Math Essentials and Mia's Math Adventure from Kutoka — challenge and motivate kids within engaging story contexts where they practice core skills in addition, subtraction, decimals, and more. LeapFrog SchoolHouse's Turbo Twist Math, the third product included here, reinforces quick thinking and ready mathematical responses using a fun, tactile handheld device and its companion cartridges to deliver a generous supply of practice problems.
Math Essentials: Addition and Subtraction (Sunburst)
Sunburst's Math Essentials: Addition and Subtraction gives kids' core math skills a workout. Students can begin at any of eight levels of difficulty, ranging from two-digit addition and subtraction in Level 1 to four operands a nd decimals in Level 8, and can opt to work in either practice or adventure mode. Selecting the latter launches an animated story about a prehistoric cave dweller named Tag-Na who leads her people in search of fire to warm their cave. Along the way, youngsters complete a series of three math games to gain tools — a crate, wheels, and a carrot — that will help the cave clan reach the fire.
Working in either practice or adventure mode, all activities test students' computational ability. In the Boars of Noi-Han, for example, users generate problems by clicking on pictures of boars that reveal both simple and complex math problems, from arranging numbers in increasing and decreasing order to solving multi-digit addition and subtraction (e.g., 573 - 218). Youngsters continue the problem-solving game on the Beach of Loch Rock, where correctly answering multi-digit problems reveals a host of beach critters. Once they solve enough problems to get three of the same critter in a row, they've successfully completed the activity. The Animals of the Plains of Nurg challenges young mathmaticians with written word problems that must be converted into equations. After lining up operands in the correct order, kids solve the problems they've created.
While the program's graphics are simple, outstanding narration accompanies animation and amusing sound effects that will draw students into activities. Teachers will appreciate the program's built-in test generator, progress reports of student activities, and extensive options for setting up games to match learning goals.
Mia's Math Adventure: Just in Time! (Kutoka Interactive)
In this digital adventure from Kutoka, an adorable mouse named Mia needs help finding parts to a time machine that will let her go back in time to prevent the fire that destroyed her home. (While Mia's tragedy is treated responsibly, teachers might want to introduce the program to very young or especially sensitive students.) Filled with math practice at four levels of difficulty, the program's instructional features are seamlessly embedded in a beautifully animated world where kids control the action and solve problems in the course of helping Mia travel to the past.
Like Sunburst's Math Essentials, kids can opt for self-directed adventure or practice mode. Once introduced to her story, students can begin helping Mia find the parts to the time machine by traveling to places such as Mr. Mole's burrow or Professor Simon's workshop, where they learn to tell time by setting the clock according to the professor's instructions. If they answer correctly, Mia will collect the clock for the time machine, just one of many objects she'll need to reach her goal.
Twelve richly varied activities are available in one of four levels and cover addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts, geometry, fractions, and more. For example, while inside the ant's underground factory, students must solve an equation (e.g., 8 + 1) by selecting from one of three possible answers that appear on spinning cubes. When kids click on the right answer, a cube drops into a bin. Solve all ten equations, and earn the key for the time machine's ignition. With each challenge, the game advances, bringing youngsters closer to collecting all necessary parts for the time machine.
While a visually enticing program that will gain student interest, Mia's limited options for saving student work and lack of classroom-based instructional materials make this a better choice for at-home or individual use.
Turbo Twist Math (LeapFrog SchoolHouse)
This bright red, intuitively designed handheld device — a kid-size cylinder with an LCD display and a slot for game cartridges — offers a variety of games to help students practice math skills. Select the first in a series of three grade-specific cartridges to get students working on addition and subtraction, or pop in a more advanced level cartridge for work on multiplication and division using fractions, decimals, and percents. Turn on the toy, and problems appear on the screen and are read aloud (e.g., 12 x 3 = __) along with several possible answers. Once kids hear the right answer, they twist the number dial to the right answer and then "slam" Turbo Twist's big blue button to enter their choice.
Each game cartridge covers two grades of math skills and includes a total of five games that can be played at varying levels of difficulty. In Quiz Time, for example, students slam when they hear the right answer among multiple-choice options. Beat the Clock challenges kids to answer as many problems as they can in 90 seconds. Word Problems engage listening and computational skills as students work on verbal math problems such as "The inventor built 46 walking toasters and 531 talking refrigerators. How many appliances does she build altogether?" In most games, students have several chances to solve problems before Turbo Twist reveals the correct answer.
Turbo Twist is an easy-to-use math tool for cementing fact knowledge and promoting quick thinking. Its greatest advantages are its portability and extensive variety of problems. Nevertheless, some students may tire easily of working on such a small screen and without engaging graphics, but many learners will enjoy the physical aspect of handling the device rather than interacting with a video-based program. Individual user scores can be saved; however, in its current version, teachers cannot save multiple student scores, which may make it difficult to track student progress.
Nancy Tassler is a technology specialist at Daniel Wright Junior High in Lincolnshire, Ill.
Editor's note: T&L's staff and editors evaluate only those products we can endorse for educational use. Web site reviews are based on content and tools that are available and accurate at the date of publication.
We'd like to thank Apple Computer and Gateway for loaning us the equipment to perform in-house evaluations.
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