Educational Insights MathShark
by Educational Insights
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List Price: Our Price: $28.99 You Save: $21.00 (42%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $14.55 (click here) Category: Toy See more product details |
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Toys and Games Reviews of Educational Insights MathShark
Customer Review: Excellent way to drill those facts and see improvments!
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this for my nine year old who thought she knew her facts, but couldn't do her tests on them fast enough. One can tell the Shark exactly what skill to test (for example, subtracting "3" from all the one digit numbers in random order). It sets the ten questions (each one is either in vertical or horizontal format - one can't specify that), and provides immediate feedback as the child enters each answer. It asks any incorrrect questions again. Once all the questions have been answered correctly, it provides the time, for example, 43.3 seconds.
My daughter enjoys seeing her time get better each time she repeats a skill. We have an agreement that she does 5 sets each day (total 50 problems). She usually does 3 sets on the same skill, and each time gets faster. Then she reviews two other skills she's already mastered.
My only complaint is the display screen can be hard to see, especially from the side (so I can't tell what problems she gets wrong, sitting beside her). Sometimes she'll get a problem wrong because she thinks a number is something else. I think the problem might be when the LED is right next to the edge of the screen, it can be in shadow or something.
You can turn off the sound (which isn't all that loud anyway). I really like how specific you can be in setting the level of challenge. This is a valuable tool for drilling math and getting immediate feedback.
Customer Review: great in concept, poor in execution
Summary: 2 Stars
In theory, this is an excellent learning tool. However there are a number of flaws that I haven't really seen mentioned.
1. The screen is AWFUL. Very poor contrast, no backlighting, difficult to see even in bright light.
2. Too much set up when you turn it on. Select volume on or off, select problem type (have to choose one of ADD, SUBTRACT, DIV, MULT and the buttons are WORDS instead of symbols, much less intuitive for kids. There is no mode to mix problems of different types)
3. Select difficulty level. It should remember settings (or let you set it up for different children) and just get going without having to go through all this. I have an INFINITELY superior (in every respect) math (and spelling/reading) learning game on my iPhone, it's 10x what this game is and costs $1.99. We just wanted to get him something that would be 'his' instead of having to give up my phone for him to play (and invariably find him playing Angry Birds instead :)).
4. The volume is very quiet and not adjustable
5. The indicator you got it right/wrong is just a red or green LED with a simple noise.
This reminds me a great deal of the old math computers they had in school back circa 1979. The game 'does the job', but it doesn't make the experience FUN beyond the math itself and the user experience is horrible.
Customer Review: Amazing Results in School Timed Math Tests!
Summary: 5 Stars
Thanks to the others who took the time to review this product, I decided to purchase it last November for a grandchild who was having difficulty with math facts and had been scoring very low on her weekly timed tests. The other reviewers indicated that the children's scores soared when using this toy. This is the amazing effect that I am now seeing happen for my grandchild. As soon as she started using the Math Shark, her tests jumped up to A's, completing all in the time allowed, whereas formerly she would only get half done with many errors. She forgot about it for awhile and her scores dropped back down. After starting to use it again, her scores are back up to A's. The Math Shark is a great investment for helping children succeed in school! I have just ordered another one for another grandchild. The price is also good for this kind of an item. The screen? Yes, it is dim for Grandma with aging eyes, but the children don't seem to have a problem with that at all.
Update, June, 2008: I have just ordered a third Math Shark for another grandchild who has just completed first grade and needs much help with his math skills. The first 2 grandchildren have enjoyed using it and have both claimed that it helped them tremendously. A wonderful educational tool!
Customer Review: recycled technology, decades old
Summary: 3 Stars
This came highly recommended, and it was not that expensive, so it was worth a try. And to be fair, it was recommended because it got results (non-specific) with someone else's child, though somewhat younger than my 9 year old.
The LCD display is ancient, segments far apart, on a dull gray background. Sound effects, equally old, remind me of a Radio Shack electronics hobby kit from 1980.
Younger kids are more tolerant of old technology and they can get things to work for them. At 9, mine is borderline, and she didn't reject it outright, but I may have missed the age where it might have held the most appeal. And after all, this is supposed to be fun or what is the point? There are plenty of other ways to do drills.
Next thing I don't care for is the level of difficulty setting, and the way the device selects problems. I will admit I have not spent a great deal of time with it but there seems to be little variety in the questions. Example, division problems at mid-level difficulty - every problem was divide by 10.
So I can't recommend it. It's bright colors and quirky LED/beeping feedback made a good first impression but they wore off fast. But it could work for your child.
Customer Review: great help for kids AND math-illiterate adults!
Summary: 4 Stars
I am a college student who seems to have gotten by so far without the ability to manage numbers at all. Finally disgusted with myself and needing basic numeracy for jobs and school, I found this toy on sale one day. It allowed me to learn, then practice basic number skills, and teaches all the day-to-day math people need. I still remain shocked and horrified that I got through life thus far without knowing how to do things like calculate percentages in my head etc. but I am glad I decided to learn. I have a friend who is a math teacher and my scores on this toy were actually BETTER than hers, because she needed to rely on pen and paper whereas I was doing it in my head through this method. Only flaw---I wish it had the ability to save high scores, as it is now you must track it yourself...and a headphone plug would be nice. Otherwise though I really recommend this!