Quarter Mile Math Review/ Barnum Software

As part of The Old Schoolhouse (TOS) Review Crew, I had the opportunity to review a product called Quarter Mile Math Deluxe. I was very impressed by this product! Your child/ student chooses either a wild riderless running horse or a fast dragster car. You choose a topic from a wide selection offered, typically one that your child may be having a hard time understanding. Then the games begin! Your child competes against their own best times in a fun game while reinforcing math concepts.
My 5 year old liked playing even though she has had little formal math training, she will be starting Kindergarten next week. I was impressed by the vast amount of topics covered by this game, because it not only covers math concepts but also letters and keyboarding. The parent decides what topic they wish to concentrate on. For example, my 5 year old is learning her vowels and consonants and they actually have a game where she had to type either v for vowel or c for consonant as a letter popped up on the screen. As she got each problem correct her horse would accelerate. The game would last for approximately a minute and at the end of the game, it would tell her how long it took her to finish. Then another game would start and she would compete against the horse that was in the previous race. She found this so exciting! She kept asking for more topics, so we were able to teach her the concept of any number plus one. She was learning addition and having a blast!!!
My second grader had fun with the < > (greater than, less than) topic. She enjoyed running each race and even though the graphics are simple, she found the game exciting because she kept tying to beat her previous time. I see this product as so very valuable to have as a teaching tool in the home, and not just for children who struggle with math concepts. This game is a great way for children to improve on math skills in a fun exciting way. The children can do those math drills that are so necessary for learning math without flash cards, and they can have a blast doing it.

Barnum Software makes the Quarter Mile Math product and can be found at http://www.thequartermile.com/ or 1-800-553-9155. I reviewed the Deluxe version which covers levels 1,2 & 3 or students who are working on a K-12 grade level. The company charges for the Standard version of the Levels 1, 2, and 3 Bundle $89.95, the Deluxe version is just $2.95 per family per month. There are two other Deluxe version subscription options that are less expensive over time. But if someone pays $89.95, that's all they pay and they can use it forever. In my opinion, this is reasonably priced, especially for families who have a wide range of students working at different levels. This one program will cover them all for their entire school career. They do have a standard package which has three separate levels covering grades k-3, 4-6 & 6-9 respectively and are each priced at $39.95. The Deluxe version requires the Internet, but the students never need to go online. The standard package does not require the Internet.
This product is great and I can understand why Sylvan Learning Centers chose to use it for all of their US & Canadian centers.