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Sunday, April 4, 2010

TOS Review: Galaxy of Education

Are you tired of reading math reviews from me? You probably are. Goodness knows, my kids are about ready for me to be done reviewing them. :-)

But really, what homeschooler can't use more math resources?

Our current topic du jour is fractions. Fractions, I admit, were my nemesis when I was in school. I could add them. Sometimes, I could subtract them. But multiplying them or--heaven forbid--dividing them, was completely lost on me. My teachers chalked it up to me being more linguistically gifted than mathematically inclined, and I was in no rush to prove otherwise. Honestly, I didn't really learn much about the hows and whys of fractions until I started teaching them to my own children. And when it came time to do that, you'd better believe I was on the look-out for some quality resources.

Thankfully, today I can present you with one that is worth your time and, yes, your money. It's called MathGalaxy.com. And no, it's not the flashiest website. It doesn't have the coolest games with the best graphics. But what it does have is a series of solid, instructional products that hold your hand if you're a teacher who needs just a little more help in the teaching department.

For the purposes of this review, I was able to download a free product. Since we're talking fractions, fractions, fractions, I wisely chose to go with ... fractions. I wasn't disappointed. The java plugin programs ($29.95) I used were the Math Galaxy Fractions Fun and the Fractions Worksheet Generator.

The Fractions Fun wasn't such a massive hit here. Perhaps my children have been spoiled by fancier graphics of faster-paced games. All three of them complained that this was nowhere near as engaging as they had hoped. Also, the incentives (things like gathering robots) fell flat here. Still, it was good drill work, and provided practice in a different format.

The Worksheet Generator, on the other hand, was used again and again. The biggest draw? A riddle maker! 500 different worksheets are included. Our faves were the ones that asked a question that could only be solved by solving math problems and plugging in the right words. Even Jo, who grows weary of cutesy approaches to math, said this was an entertaining way to practice a new skill.

Math Galaxy offers many, many more options for math study, ranging from basic operations to upper level concepts. It's well worth checking out their site and seeing what they have, because as I said, every homeschool can benefit from a few more math resources!


Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this product for review purposes. Refer to my general disclaimer for more information on my policies regarding reviews.

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