You don’t have to spend much time around me before you realize that math is NOT my strong point. I have many other talents, but math is just not one of those. I won’t bore you with all of the details as to why I think this is the case, but I will however fast forward to my own children and my hopes for them. My husband is a math whiz. I guess when that is a major, everyday part of your life for your career then you get pretty good at it. So, I was hopeful that my boys would take after him. Luckily, they have! While math isn’t one of Graham’s favorite subjects, he still does well with it.
So, when we were given the opportunity to try out the Go Math! Academy by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt I was excited for the opportunity to boost Graham’s math skills in a different way. I was also eager because Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a trusted company when it comes to education and text books. As a matter of fact, the on-line program is based off of the popular GO Math! textbook that is used by over 7 million kids worldwide. I love this concept because Go Math! Academy allows you to set up two profiles. A parent has a profile in order to track progress and see what has been going on and each child has a profile. Graham really enjoyed personalizing his profile and got started on the games right away. I enjoyed getting the email updates that tracked his progress.
Another helpful feature of Go Math! Academy are the instructional videos. If there is a particular math concept that your child is struggling with you can choose the grade level, then choose the concept in order to watch an instructional video on the topic. For younger kids the videos are lively and include a puppet-like character along with Professor Burger. The older kids also get Professor Burger, but in a way that will appeal and apply to them. I can think of so many times in my school career where those videos would have really come in handy! My dad would try to teach me one way and I could remember parts of what the teacher taught me that day, but having it right in front of me as a reminder would have been wonderful! Step-by-step math problems are the way to go when you are trying to learn! Now, we can select different skills that Graham may need to focus on and have him practice in new and exciting ways.
If you are interested in Go Math! Academy I would highly recommend it. The on-line program currently covers grades K-6th and would be perfect for the child who is struggling or just for a little extra reinforcement for the child who is doing well. There are a few different pricing plans and they are definitely affordable:
- Monthly: $9.99/month
- 6-months: $49.99 ($8.33/month) – a 17% savings
- 1-year: $79.99 ($6.67/month) – a 33% savings
How does your child feel about math? Is it a struggle or a favorite subject?
Debbie L. says
Math is such an important skill to learn – great tool to make learning math fun,
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
My 7 year old is struggling in math. This would be great for him!
alissa says
Isaak loves math, and doesn’t want to read very much.
Mica dislikes math, and he loves reading. The library is his favorite place.
Lori Gunn says
I taught school for many years and loved programs like this for my students and kids. Step-by-step instructions and explanations with positive reinforcement are wonderful ways to instill the knowledge, if not the love, of certain subjects. Once kids catch on, watch out – they continue to learn.
Amy @ Marvelous Mommy says
I just heard of this recently! I’ve been thinking of trying it for my girls!
Betsy Mitchell says
This sounds like a great program for kids. Math was never my favorite subject!
Susanna @Zealous Mom says
This looks like a great program! I’m not sure what my boys’ strengths are yet, but this may be something they will enjoy.
Jaime says
I’ve always been stronger in math (I think Kenny is also good at math, though he super excels at reading.) Our son is still young, but loves counting. I’m hoping he’ll love math growing up!
Melinda says
I’m terrible with math so I have to rely on sites like this to help the kids. I’m glad it’s so reputable
Debra says
When I was a kid I always said I wanted to be an accountant. The only problem is I can’t do math! I went into PR instead. My son, who now is 7, loves math and is a whiz at it. I’m glad that he likes numbers – he says he likes that there is a definite right and wrong answer.
Jeanine says
All my kids dislike math because I do, so I think something like this would be amazing! My oldest tends to like it, but feels he’s bad at it and it’s “boring” so this would for sure be helpful!
Ben @ Cheap is the New Classy says
This is a really great idea. Math was the hardest thing for me to understand in school.
Liz Mays says
Go Math is a great idea. Math can be extremely difficult for some students to grasp. so anything we can use to help them is great.
Rosey says
I agree, if you’re learning and it’s a challenge you want it to be step by step. My little one is good at math, but like you noted, he’d probably like this for positive reinforcement.
Debbie Denny says
This sounds like a great program. Math is an important skill to have.
Chrystal @ YUM eating says
Math is very important in pretty much every career choice. You may not ever need to do an algebraic equation, but you’ll need basic math.
Pam says
This sounds great for kids who aren’t interested in math. I love things that make learning fun.
Brett Martin says
Awesome program! I love that it’s soo affordable too. These services usually cost much more.
Shell says
The videos are such a helpful feature! I’ll have to check this out.
Carly Anderson says
My daughter is only three, so we are just working on recognizing numbers – which she is doing GREAT with! I love that there are programs like this out there to help children.
Veronica says
Math has been a struggle for my son. We really have to keep him focused. This is a great way to help with math skills
Christie says
My son loves loves math right now! Having great programs like this help to foster that passion!
Chrysa Duran says
Wow! Under $7 a month for the entire year subscription is really a great deal! I love educational sites like this. Thanks for the info!
Krystal's Kitsch says
When my son is a little older, we are so going to try this! Thanks for sharing.
Ann Bacciaglia says
Math was not a easy subject for me. I can remember spending hours trying to learn my times tables when i was a kid. My children didn’t have as hard of a time as i did luckily. I like that there is a program available to help kids learn math in a way that makes it fun.
Brandy says
This is such a great service! I enjoyed watching my youngest hammer through the math, I didn’t even know he was that mathematic because he is my tricky child. He seems to not like us to know he is smart! He keeps that hidden because he is such a comedian most of the time!
Janel (A Mom's Take) says
Learning is so much easier for kids when they enjoy what they are doing. I think if math is fun then kids are more prone to want to use it and remember it and do it and love it.
Beth@FrugalFroggie says
Luckily, my son likes math. But it looks like a great resource to help and to improve math skills.
Theresa says
I need to recommend this one of my nephew’s mom. He is in 3rd grade and is having a heck of a time getting math down. I bet this would help him tremendously.
Travel Blogger says
I started struggling with math in the 6th grade. I wish I had recieved more assistance at that time because it put me on the path of struggling w/ math for the rest of my educational career.
Danielle @ We Have It All says
Too bad they don’t go beyond 6th – I have 3 in high school struggling with math. But… this would be great for my kindergartner!
Amanda Her says
I love how colorful and user friendly that site looks! And that it’s affordable enough to maintain too – thinking about signing up for my son.
kristin says
Such a great skill to gain is math. I like games that teach something anyway so that’s what my kids play.
April @ Everyday Fitness and Nutrition says
This looks like such a great way for kids to learn math in a fun way. It’s so important to get a solid math foundation in the early years to build as math gets more difficult in high school and college.
April says
Math is definitely my weakness. Since I homeschool I often worry it will be my kids weakness too. I do have one girl who loves it though.
Melissa @ This Girl's Life Blog says
Thanks for this I am going to check it out. My daughter is super smart but she shows her weakness in math sometimes so anything like this would be a great boost to add in with regular school.
Amy Desrosiers says
I may need all the help I can get with my daughter so I will have to keep this in mind. One child is smart, and the other needs more help!