As part of the Homeschool Review Crew, I was given the opportunity to review the software UberSmart Math Facts from  UberSmart Software.

Long before the device age, memorizing math facts were simple. Dot cards and flash cards were the way to go. But since the mobile gadgets became widely used, the applications became graphic oriented and it was hard to find a simple application which can help the children memorize math facts. It is because of this that David Kocur created UberSmart Math Facts!

Memorizing math facts is an important skill which can help children to become more confident when solving math problems. It would be an important skill to learn before they move to higher math. But oftentimes, memorizing math facts is not easy and doesn’t come naturally. UberSmart Math Facts helps parents by providing the platform that the children will use regularly to ensure familiarity with all the math facts. Automaticity or recalling the facts without thinking about it can easily be achieved through the drills offered by the program.

UberSmart Math Facts is a downloadable software which you can install on your  computers with the Windows operating systems only like Windows 7, 8, XP and Windows Vista. It primarily teaches the children to master math facts using simple dot cards and flash cards. The application is made for children grades K-6 but anyone can really use this simple math review software which focuses on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division drills.

UberSmart Math Facts software has 3 main components:

Dot Cards  It is like domino faces. It teaches the younger child to be familiar with the different operations using dots.

Keyboard Entry  It teaches the student to be familiar with number’s location on the keyboard and visualizes the numbers for them.

Flash Cards  It shows numbers and focuses on addtition, subtractraction, multiplication and division. It teaches one number group in a time and ensures that children have mastered the set before moving to the next number. The addition and subtraction goes up through the 9s while the multiplication and division can be set to 20s.

As soon as you has installed the program on your compter, you can access the program without the need of internet connection. The program is independently installed on your computer and can be accessed anytime of the day and without limit. You can install the program on another computer but the test results will only stay with one computer since every copy of the program has their own record of results.

 

We installed the program to our laptop and didn’t encounter any problems. I added the name of my 7 year old son who is in 2nd grade and made him use the program at least 3x a week during the review period. He used the program for about 15 minutes each day.

The menu options of the program is learn, practice, test, compete, report and maintain. The child can start with learn where he will choose if he is a beginner (dot cards) or an intermediate (flash cards). Then student can choose what skill and number group they want to learn. As they practice, there is a bar on the lower portion of the screen which shows their progresss. This is not a timed session.

The practice sessions are basically the same with learn except that they are timed sessions. Each flashcard has a time limit.  The student also finds out the result of their answer at once as the computer checks their answer.

The test sessions are timed as a whole set. The student will automatically see how well he did at the end of the test and the right answers to the wrong questions.

The compete sessions are timed and the students grade will compete with other users all around the world based on their age range.

As the teacher, you can go to the maintain menu and set the name of the students, the time for their practice problems, mastery time limit and beat the clock time. You can also see the progess of your students by checking the report option.

My son took the assessment test and this is the report that I received.

There are different types of report available. There are mastery reports, you can even see the practice drills result and how your child did in every number group. This gives the teacher a great overview of what you need to work on with your child. I really liked this feature!

It is stated in the website that  two or three fifteen minute sessions per day is recommended. But even if your child can do only a single ten minute session, the consistent daily review should be enough to help your child master his math facts! The software only costs $24.95 for home use and can be installed on as many computers as you have in your house. You can also use the software indefinitely.

After using this software, I found out that even if my son loves math, he still has many facts that he needs to master and daily sessions using UberSmart Math Facts can be a big help to him as he memorizes the basic math facts! In fact, I am also going to ask my 10 year old daughter to start using this program to help her with her math too!

If you are looking for a simple and direct math program that would help you child remember math facts with automaticity, go and try UberSmat Math Facts!

For more reviews on this product, check the Schoolhouse Review Crew posts.