Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Quarter Mile Math~TOS Crew Review


At the beginning of summer I was on a quest to find a fun, effective way for the kids to practice their math facts while on summer break, so I was delighted the day Quarter Mile Math was delivered to our house. The package stated "Math Practice Software Kids Love"...I was anxious to try it! It came with a CD that was very easy to install and a booklet with full instructions. Once set up, I began to play and the kids gathered around me wanting their turn. We explored the whole program for over an hour. Conclusion: We like practicing math...it's fun!

Quarter Mile Math is a software program that is highly motivating because you compete against yourself. The screen displays your car or riderless horse racing against others, after five races you race against your best times. You are able to see your progress as you get better and better with each race! It's almost addictive...even for mom! And boy, is it effective! The reason it works so well is because the game is tied to the math. You type in answers as fast as you can which accelerates your car or riderless horse and causes you to become very efficient in mental math, very quickly!

I received the Deluxe Version which gives you access to all 3 Levels (all 323 topics in the entire product line and all 70,000+ problems, covers K-9th grade [pre-algebra]). Look HERE for the exhaustive list.

The Deluxe Version (best choice for multiple levels) has some neat features:
  1. It tracks a student's progress over time automatically.
  2. Students can be in real-time tournaments with other family members on multiple computers.
  3. Multiple students can use it on different computers simultaneously.
  4. FREE upgrades!


The Deluxe Version has 3 payment options:

  • $2.95 per family per month
  • $19.95 per family per year
  • $34.95 per family for two years
You may also choose the Standard Version, which is shipped to you in CD form and prices range from $39.95-$89.95 depending on the level(s) you want. HERE is a Deluxe/Standard product comparison chart.

The kids are asking, "Can we play that race game?" daily...no more whining and complaining when it's time to practice our math drills! I like that the game is self-competitive, because it allows 'healthy competition' to motivate. Katelyn is very competitive, she turns everything into a 'race'. She greatly enjoys the self-competition format! Cason, on the other hand, is not as competitive [big sister always wins], so I wondered if the self-competition would be as motivating for him. It is! He likes to see if he can beat his high score each time...when you race against yourself, the pressure is eliminated. Even Carrie, my 4-year-old, enjoys it! She is able to do the kindergarten level with help.

Overall, we all LOVE it! Where was Quarter Mile Math when I was in school? I could have used the math practice for sure and the keyboard practice would have been wonderful in college! I'm definitely learning right along with my children. This program is now a part of our curriculum line-up...it will be used for daily math drill practice. If you are looking for a fun way to sharpen math fact skills, download the Free Demo...you will be 'hooked' as well!

**Barnum Software is offering a special for my readers...$5 off any product ~Standard or Deluxe. Use this code: 7R7Y7 There is a place to input this code on the order forms. This Referral Code will be good until September 30.


1 comment:

Aunt Lee said...

Keyboarding is an important skill for children -- that's why I created a website with typing games for my after-school group to use.

Over the years it has grown and now has over 60 typing games! And I've just added a page of timed typing games and tests.

It's a kid-safe site -- I work hard to ensure that when links go to outside pages, those pages don't have inappropriate ads or links to non-educational games, and I update the site regularly.

www.auntlee.com/kids

Thanks for your time,