Math Practice!

I have had several parents ask about how they can help their student practice math at home or even during school vacations!  The school is providing two great math resources for your child that can be used anywhere you have internet access.  We use both in the classroom, but they can also be utilized at home for extra practice and enrichment for your student.

Moby Max is a website we have been using all year in the classroom.  We use the math and fact master portions of it, but there are also reading and language arts activities too.  This program tests your student to see where they are at, and also to find any gaps in their math knowledge.  It then assigns lessons to your child according to his/her ability.  I love this program because it provides a lot of extra practice for students, but also pushes students who are talented in mathematics to work on harder and more advanced concepts.  The lessons contain tutorials for help if the student needs extra hints and instruction.  As a teacher I can log-in and get detailed reports on student progress and look for areas that students need extra help in.  As a parent you can also see how your child is doing by logging in with them and pushing on the "green elephant" progress button.  If your child needs to work on learning their basic facts (both for speed and accuracy), the fact master button is the place to go!  Students must answer facts correctly within five seconds.  You can also use the progress button to see exactly which facts they have mastered and which ones they haven't.  What a great tool!  I sometimes refer to Moby in our classroom as our personal math tutors. 

A second math website that we have recently rolled out is First in Math.  First in Math is also an adaptive math game site that helps students practice the skills they are learning at school.  As students pass levels in different skill areas, the program is designed to keep challenging them by increasing the difficulty in the game.  They love playing it!

Usernames and passwords for both of these sites can be found in your child's blue take-home folder.  They are easy to log into, and a great way to provide your third grader with extra practice.  I really encourage you to check them out!