Whizz Education has an online subscription available to help make math time more productive and less stressful for both parents and students. My family recieved a two person, 12 month subscription to Math-Whizz, an online math tutor.
Everything is completed online through their website, so you will need internet access to complete the program. It is a computer program designed for 5-13 year olds, completed on a website that will require Adobe Flash.
While on the program, your child will have their own adaptive math tutor, working on concepts that they have tested as needing assistance in. Your child will begin by taking a comprehensive assessment test, and they will be given a Math Age to reflect their knowledge and mastery in many concept areas. Math-Whizz states that your child can improve their math skills by 18 months in just one year of using the program.
Using Math-Whizz Math Tutor
They recommend that students spend about 20 minutes a day and at least 3 days per week on the program for the best results. The program works as a math tutor for students and adjusts based on your students’ level of comprehension and application after using the program.
Here is a quick video tutorial of how the program works:
As you can see, the students will take an assessment and will then be assigned lessons according to how they tested.
Each of my oldest 2 kids have been using this program for the last few weeks. I’ve been having them work for 20-30 minutes, three to four times a week. This has supplemented our regular program, which they usually complete 4-5 times a week.
My 13 year old daughter initially tested at a Math Age of 13.58. The program said that she needed to work on Equations, Formulae, and Identities and that she had a good grasp of Place Value.
After working regularly, she has found the program to be fun and fairly enjoyable. She told me that it’s easy to use and that she feels like it teaches concepts well and in a way that she understands. She hasn’t fought me any time I’ve asked her to do it, so I consider that a win! She has already progressed to a Math Age of 13.64, according to the assessments within the program.
My 11 year old son initially tested at a Math Age of 13.42. The results of his test said that he also has a good grasp of Place Value, but he needs more work in Rapid Recall: + and -. While he has also worked hard on the program, at least 20 minutes each time, he has not progressed as fast.
For him, the lessons don’t seem to do enough to teach him the concepts, so he is learning slower than his sister. He has only progressed to a Math Age of 13.44 during this time.
Parent Resources
The Parent Dashboard is perfect for parents who need resources for reporting. You are able to see your child’s current math age, see if they’re progressing as fast as the program thinks they should be, view reports on your child’s progress and usage, and more. They also have several videos to watch on how the program works and how to use it best.
Here is a look at the screen when I clicked “View Report” for my son, Michael:
Final Thoughts
Math-Whizz works for different students in different ways. I think it is a valuable tool to meet kids exactly where they are to help them become stronger in skills they may be struggling in or haven’t been taught yet. Math-Whizz is not intended to be a full math curriculum, but works well to supplement any program. I would recommend parents giving it a try, especially if their child is having difficulty understanding their current math studies or if you are afraid they may have gaps in their learning.
There were several families that used Math-Whizz during the review period. Be sure to click the banner below to see what they had to say!