Website Review



Website Review

I have heard so much about many of these sites and have even logged on to see what activities were on them in the past. I was a little more critical this time as I tried to image myself using this as a tool as the sole teacher in a maximum capacity class.

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There are several sections to this website that can be used by the student both in the classroom as well as at home. Some involve math, some language, and some – just fun.

Math Brain – This was not as great as I thought it would be. It promises 25 different games of varied skills. However you must pass or “win” at each game before going on to the next. They were not, however arranged by skill level, and some had minimal math skills involved. I got stuck on one frustrating game where you had to use the arrows to manipulate the player, while trying to solve an equation and drop the correct answer onto the problem…..it took about five tries for me to move on! I don’t recommend this portion of the website to be used in the classroom, but it may be fun for the students to play on their own.

Games – There are a lot of fun games, many using math skills that can be played in the classroom. A fun one is called Mathcar (like NASCAR) where you have to solve an equation in the highlighted row to solve. The computer then picks a problem in that column to solve. It took me a few turns to figure it out, basically, the answer to the problem is the number of points you score on that turn. Once I figured this out I was trying to pick the problems with the highest quotient within that column. Then I picked one with a -9 for an answer, only to find out that this took nine points off my score! It is definitely a fun game though, and the student has time to think and apply strategies, rather than swatting at flying things in the way! There are several more that apply skills that you may be working on in the classroom at that time. In Place Value Puzzler you have to point to the place value stated. This is great for students who need a little extra supervised practice. Fresh Baked Fractions requires students to simplify equations, and Measure It allows students to practice both standard and metric measurements. The game Operation Order uses all operations to fill in missing numbers in the equation. There definitely are a lot of fun games, but when using in the classroom I would make sure that the students were using a game that worked on the skills I thought they needed.



This site has many math resources that could be helpful to teachers and students. There are games, worksheets and online resources.

Flashcards – This portion of the website requires a Java Version, which I did not have access to. There is that resource online though for students who need flashcards and have a computer at home.

Games – (Java and Non-Java Versions) – Again, I was only able to look at the Non-Java Versions, and the Java Versions were the same games, plus a few more. MATH-O is like Bingo, only you have to solve math facts to fill in your card. This can be played with addition, multiplication, and division. Hidden Picture requires the student to match facts or vocabulary with answers or definitions. As they answer them a piece of the puzzle is turned over to reveal part of the picture. This game can be played with addition, subtraction, multiplication, or geometry. Concentration requires students to match facts on one side of the screen with answers on the other. Concentration can be played with addition or multiplication facts and it is also good for their memory skills. The downside of these games is that you have to keep scrolling down to read the questions, and scroll up to select the answer.

Worksheets – These are a great quick resource for teachers, tutors, parents, and students! You can select the skill and number of questions desired to instantly create worksheets. These skills include whole and decimal addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, fractions, order of operations, counting money, and basic algebra. There is even an option to create online worksheets!

Homework Helper – Using this portion you can supposedly enter in your Homework question and your answer to check if it’s correct. I, however, couldn’t get it to work, even entering in basic facts. It also has interactive addition and multiplication table that shows the facts you select and multiples along the way that may make it easier to understand how they work.



This sight is all about multiplication! It could be helpful to teachers to print out fact sheets and mini times table charts. It also provides a few ideas for teachers to fir in some fact drill into their already busy schedule (answer a fact on a flashcard as your ticket to come back from lunch.) This is more of a teacher resource or for early learners of multiplication to check their facts.

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