I had never heard of Math Rider before, and the fact that it was a Math game really appealed to me. Math Rider is a fun, simple, easy to use resource for children ages 6-12m and helps children master addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with number 0-12. My daughter Rachelle used the program, since she likes Math the least, and I’ve had trouble finding a Math program for her. I knew she’d enjoy the story aspect of it.
I love that Math Rider was created by a parent for his children’s needs. Math Rider is sort of like a “smart game” that adapts to your child. It’s set in a fantasy land in which your child gets to ride Shadow the horse in the land of Ray and complete noble quests. It’s recommended that you start with the easiest beginning addition, which is what we did, although you can pick which operation you want to use. During each quest, a math problem will show on the screen, and your child types in the answer and presses Enter as fast as they can. The more problems answered correctly, the more points earned for the quest and the child “levels up” faster, and Shadow the horse jumps over obstacles. When a problem is answered incorrectly, Shadow does not jump over the obstacle and the correct answer is shown.
Here is what the Start screen looks like. I set up my own rider so I wouldn’t interfere with anyone else’s.
I hadn’t started anything yet, so everything is at 0. On the right, you see Statistics, Practice Run, and New Quest. Let’s look at Practice Run.
Practice Run doesn’t count toward any quests, it’s simply what it says: Practice. I can choose to work on 1 or all 4 operations if I want to. I can also choose to do the obstacle course, or a timed challenge.
Your first ride will give you some helpful tips to use the game. Pretty simple, right?
Boo, I got one wrong! That’s okay. because right after I got this one wrong, it popped up again shortly after, and I was able to remember the answer. No one’s perfect, right?
I decided to go on and do a New Quest next. I did the easiest so that I knew I’d get them all right and you couldn’t make fun of me. :p Ha!
This is what your page looks like after you complete each Ride for a Quest. It tells you everything about your current ride and quest at the top. The rider icon on the bottom right takes you to a new ride to continue your current quest. When you answer the problems, if you accidentally type the wrong answer, you CAN Backspace to type the correct answer, but once you hit Enter, you cannot change it. That’s the only thing I think I’d change, because sometimes Rach would type the wrong answer on accident even if she knew the correct answer, but then couldn’t change it.
I completed my first quest. Go me!
Even if your child isn’t a great reader, they can listen to the story and still know what’s going on. You can also pause the story, and fast forward to the next story screen, and even turn the sound off if you’d rather read. I love that! I plan to use this with Ethan as well. One of the great things about Math Rider is that you can have up to 8 users on 1 license, so I could use this with all 4 kiddos! You also get FREE software updates for life! The graphics are simple, yet very lovely. I love the illustrations. You can track your child’s progress, and if there’s a problem your child has trouble mastering, it will continue to show until it’s mastered.
Rachelle used this in addition to the Math worksheets she uses, which I love since it gives her more work, without being boring. She chose which operation and level she wanted to work on.
Overall, I think Math Rider is a super fun way to help your child master basic Math facts. The story is engaging, and you get instant feedback, which is awesome for those of us who need instant gratification. The cost is $47 for a lifetime license, with free updates for life as I mentioned earlier. You can also sign up for a 7 day FREE trial! I would totally purchase Math Rider, because really, you can’t beat the price for a lifetime of use.
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