DreamBox Learning- Differentiated Math Curriculum

If you've been reading 4BabyAndMom for any amount of time, you probably know how crazy we are about education. Marissa is going to school to be a teacher, and Lauren went to school for Early Childhood Education.

As a mom of a gifted, Autistic son, I have found it virtually impossible to find any online games, websites, or even an established curriculum that keeps him entertained and engaged, while staying competitive and encouraging. We've used some websites that included some educational aspects in them, but not until recently have we found a really fun program that truly contains a rigorous math curriculum that builds conceptual understanding and fluency for every grade level.

DreamBox Learning put together a platform where your child can play kindergarten math games online, all the way through the 5th grade! You don't have to go through the public school or be a homeschooler, you can simply use this program as a tutoring/supplemental tool for your child on your own time- or on the go- so that he or she will be more successful in math.

What I love most about the DreamBox Learning Math program is that there is a free trial, and then the program is available on a month-by-month rate, or by a discounted rate (6 month membership), starting at only $12.95.

The kindergarten curriculum teaches counting (from 1-100), including lessons where kids can build their own hundreds chart; it even teaches calculating doubles and near doubles (early addition skills). This is a screen shot from one of the counting lessons:

By visiting the DreamBox website, you can click on each grade level individually to see what types of lessons your child will be learning. The program allows you to track the growth your child (or up to 4 children) are making as they progress. They make this easy, so you don't have to stress about the methods or your own ability to teach your child more difficult math. DreamBox has a Parents Tips area which gives some great advice on how to incorporate math into your daily life, from Kindergarten through third grade, but when you subscribe to DreamBox, you’ll get regular academic progress emails that include tips for family activities that reinforce the specific lessons your child is learning.

If you're looking for an engaging, proven math curriculum for your child to learn at home, I recommend checking into the DreamBox Learning Math Program. For more information on why early math skills are beneficial, visit ZeroToThree.org.

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Jumpstart Online Provides Educational Fun for PreK-age 10! Review + GIveaway!

About a year ago our family was introduced to JumpStart, an online educational program for children from preschool through about 6 years of age. When we first reviewed JumpStart, my son loved it. He went on for about 6 months almost daily.. and then it slowly faded. He went on every now and then, when the themes changed because of a holiday, or because he wanted to play on the computer. He loved seeing the new changes, but the educational games were not so educational for him any more. As a gifted kid, he runs into that problem often.


When summer began, on rainy days or 'boring' days Alex started visiting again, and noticed there were tons of changes. You can have a pet dragon now, (when I visited with him earlier, it was sleeping!), and there are more areas on the map. The Jumpeez (avatars, computer people, characters) can interact with their pet dragon and go through these different areas and worlds ('like Future Land and Story Land', Alex says), on learning adventures. MarineLand, FutureLand, and Uncle Milton’s Amazing Science Land are the new lands, and Alex says 'they're pretty cool', too.

I love hearing him play on JumpStart, and I love listening to him teach Abbie the new worlds. She's starting to get really good at the computer (now that her big brother has given her the ability to work on it alone) and enjoys her little Jumpeez too! The names of the Jumpeez are anonymous and fictional, and always gets a giggle from her as it pops up over her character's head, which is new to her!

Today, we got a "mission" as we signed on, and both of the kids were so excited!

They had to go and find pieces of a treasure map in order defeat an evil Sorcerer that is trying to take all of the energy from JumpStart.

They were even more upset when I told them that they could do their mission tomorrow, as it was bed time.

One of Alex's favorite places on the JumpStart map is the Stadium. At the Stadium, kids can go and play either football, volleyball or basketball (all with an educational twist!). The only thing Alex says that he doesn't like is the fact that they don't have soccer. Overall, he does enjoy all of the new upgrades they have done, and honestly has the desire to play every single day again. He's excited about it, and as a mom, that makes me excited.

I have a tendency to want to try all of the games my kids play, and before they played JumpStart for the very first time screened it completely. That said- I tried playing the volleyball game at level three today, and it was CRAZY! Even though the words are not hard it's like mind-hand-eye coordination at it's finest. Of course, if I wasn't still sick, and had a mouse for my laptop, it may have been easier.. but I digress!

I love the fact that you can link your Facebook account with your JumpStart account, so you can keep track of your kid's progress on Facebook, earn extra coins and meet up with friends (using top-secret-buddy codes to locate them).  If you prefer the traditional way, you can see your child's progress right in your email, or on your account page at JumpStart.com.

The bottom line is, now that Alex is older and brighter, he's found a place that he's familiar with to fit into his world that's both educational and fun. It's fun enough to keep him coming back to it, and once again, advanced enough that he can really learn and sharpen his skills on the educational side of it. The boy is happy, and mom is happy- win, win!

Speaking of winning... Our very good friends at JumpStart have offered one lucky reader their chance to score a 6 month paid subscription to JumpStart online!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER!!

Please refer to our WINNERS PAGE for more information on how to claim your prize!

This giveaway is open to residents of the US & Canada. This giveaway will end on August 15, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org, and all winner information will be posted on our WINNERS PAGE and on this post. Any unclaimed prizes will be redrawn accordingly and at the discretion of 4BabyAndMom. Disclosure: I received a membership to JumpStart to review at no cost. This did not affect my opinion of the product and any opinions expressed are 100% that of 4BabyAndMom. Your experience with these products, website and companies may differ.

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Exercise Your Mind with BrainFuel!

I've recently had the opportunity to review BrainFuel4Kids, a website packed with information on how to maximize your child's learning potential by using the right foods, brain games, and so much more. Included in the review of BrainFuel was a 30-day free trial to Lumosity.com to track and record my personal Brain Training Exercises.

I've been playing these games almost non-stop since I enrolled, and I can tell you they're not only fun, but as the levels increase, it's almost like your brain goes into auto-pilot and you're doing the Brain Training games with almost exact accuracy, and it's really FUN! I love watching my BPI (Brain Performance Index) increase, and comparing it to other individuals my age.

Moms and Dads can join the forums to ask any food related questions to the registered dietitian, as well as any other questions that you may have about exercising your child's mind!

My son is 'gifted' and loves websites that are packed with tons of information (like did you know that...Your brain contains a vast network of connections capable of performing 20 million-billion calculations per second.) 20 Million-BILLION?!?!?!- So the next time you think you're incapable of multitasking, know that that is not only untrue, but impossible!! Alex has thoroughly enjoyed the fun facts on the BrainFuel website, and many of the games he thinks are "totally cool".

I love finding great resources for Moms and their children, and I thoroughly encourage you to check out BrainFuel and let me know what you think!

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of BrainFuel and received an insulated lunch bag from California Innovations to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

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