TOS Crew Review - Math Facts Now!

Math Facts Now! is a computer-based flash card program designed to help students with speed and recall and long-term retention of math facts, from addition to division.

Math Facts Now! offers both a CD-ROM that you can order, or a down-loadable program that can be instantly installed on your computer. This review is for the down-loadable program. The download was easy to install and use, and takes up very little memory space (with our ancient computer that can slow down if an ant crawls on the mousepad, that is a big plus!). I had no problems at all with it slowing things down or crashing.

Once installed, the program walks you through adding students and creating lessons for all students or each specific student. When creating lessons, you get to choose which problems you'd like the student to review, how many problems they'll review during each lesson, how much time they have to answer each problem, and how many times they repeat incorrect answers. You can also choose to have a reward announced at the end of a lesson in which they've gotten all of the problems correct. I love this ability to customize! Ezra (8) is just started his multiplication facts, so I was able to create a multiplication lesson that includes only the facts he already knows, and I can edit the lesson and add more facts in as he learns more. Each aspect of the lesson creation was really easy and quick to do!

After you've created lessons for each student, they can get started! I'm going to be totally honest (that is the purpose of a review, afterall)... while I absolutely love Math Facts Now, my boys do not like this program. :-( You know why? It makes them THINK! If a problem is answered incorrectly, or in not enough time, instead of just moving on to another question, the student has to type out the entire problem at least twice - helping them retain the problem! They hate this part, but I love it!! Then, the program incorporates the problems they've struggled on more frequently throughout the lesson so they get more practice at them. It also gives a little hint by showing the warning "Be careful!" when they come to a problem they missed previously.

There are no flashy games, sounds, or entertainment - which I never consider a bad thing, either - they get plenty of "entertainment" everywhere (and that's a whole 'nother blog post!). However, they dutifully do their assignment each day and are no worse for the wear - in fact, I know for sure they are better off for it! In my opinion, it is a good lesson in "sometimes we have to do things we don't think are "fun" in order to grow and learn", something I believe is a very important aspect of growing into a mature adult (again... a blog post for another time!). Depending on how they do, a lesson takes anywhere from 3-10 minutes a day - really no big deal at all.

It is simple for me to gauge their progress by logging in under their name and clicking "View or Print Progress Report". The progress report tells me the overall percentage of problems done correctly, incorrectly, as well as too slowly, and how long they took to complete each lesson. It also tells me which exact problems they've struggled with! I can easily see how they are improving as time goes on! In just a few weeks time, both boys have significantly decreased the number of problems they miss, as well as answer too slowly. The program works!!

I know some homeschoolers balk against formal drilling or flash-card type teaching for math, but I have found it really is the only way to help cement those facts into memory and help them come up again quickly. Math Facts Now! serves just this purpose, and wonderfully so!

At just $15.95 for the download (which can be used for any number of students) or $19.90 for the CD-ROM (that includes shipping), I consider Math Facts Now! a great value, both monetarily as well as educationally. I know we will be using it in our homeschool for years to come! You can give it a free trial run online or by downloading a free sample by going here. Also, be sure to check out what my fellow Crew Members are saying by checking out their reviews at the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.