We got our standardized test scores back for this year, and let's just say they were, um, less than desirable on the Math side! I wouldn't say my children struggle with Math. They understand the concepts and get fairly good grades on their Math work. While they excel on the Language Arts side, however, they just don't like Math. In fact, they strongly dislike Math! Since Math was my favorite subject and my husband has a degree in Electrical Engineering from Penn State, which included at least three years of Calculus, I guess we just thought we'd hand some Math-loving genes down to our kids. I guess it skipped a generation!
In trying to figure out where I was going wrong in my teaching of the dreaded subject, I realized that my kids do understand the concepts and they are capable of solving the problems when they apply themselves. Because they do not like Math, however, it has been a struggle for me to get them to drill their Math facts regularly, and I have dropped the ball on that this year, as we were trying to accomplish many other things. The solution to our problem is that my kids need to drill, drill, drill on their Math facts, and I need to find a way to make that palatable.
Obviously, when an opportunity to review CapJaxMathFax came up, I jumped on it!
CapJaxMathFax is a subscription download to your computer, which works on Mac or PC. Your child may drill on Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, or Division facts for a rating, or practice a combination of the drills. The score is higher the faster you answer the problems, and when you have received 1000 points in that operation, you have mastered it. This is a simple, straight-forward way to drill Math facts on the computer. It does not use games that can distract your child, but it does use bright colors and instant feedback that will encourage your child to continue to improve and increase speed.
The Product: CapJaxMathFax, a downloadable computer program (also available on CD)
Ages: Elementary school levels - or any age that could use some practice on their Math skills!
Price: $29.95 (small additional charge for CD)
Pros: Excellent Math drilling practice without the distraction of games
Cons: Although the program was relatively simple once we got going, the log-in and setup stage was not terribly user-friendly, and it took me a while to figure it all out.
My children have already improved in drilling their Math facts using CapJaxMathFax for a short time. I would recommend this inexpensive program for anyone who needs some extra practice with Math drills.
To see what my crewmates thought of CapJaxMathFax, see the Homeschool Crew Blog.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of CapJaxMathFax for the purpose of a fair review. No other compensation was given, and all opinions are my own.
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