Product: Mathscore.com subscription
Description: online math practice and assessment for grades 1 – algebra 1
Cost: $14.95/month for 1 child; +$5.00/month for a 2nd; +$3.95 each additional
(currently there is a deal for ½ month free and $5 off for 1st child. Discounts valid for 2 months.)
The concept of an online program designed to help students practice math and parents/teachers assess the student’s progress is not a new one. Many of these types of programs exist all over the web and unfortunately Mathscore gets lost in the heap.
The program offers some wonderful features such as the software’s automatic adaptivity to the student’s performance and the automatic grading. Mathscore also uses a point system that functions as a reward system for the student and an assessment tool for the parent/teacher. While I can see this as a great assessment tool, my children don’t find the rewards all that exciting.
None of these features are completely unique to Mathscore either. The interface is very very basic and bland. I was reminded of the early webpages from the late 90’s where ‘cool’ features were a flat gray button and a box you could type in. I felt the ‘worksheets’ were a little clumsy to maneuver through as well.
While Mathscore didn’t impress me at all in the bells and whistles category it certainly gets the job done. If your child is one who gets easily distracted by a fancy background and sounds them Mathscore may be just what you’re looking for – a no frills, get right to it math practice program.
For more information and to try the program out for yourself with a free trial, just visit Mathscore.com.
-Sara O’