TOS Review for Quarter Mile Math

I was very excited when I received notice that my family would be getting Quarter Mile Math from Barnum Software to review. We have been using this for a couple of months now with my 10 year old son and 6 year old daughter. Each one loves different things about this software program.

In this fun game, your child gets to first choose whether he wants to compete as a horse or a car. Each of my children played both ways but they had their favorites. When choosing a horse, their is no rider. This was intentional by the company to help alleviate problems some families have with actual horse racing. The object is to get the fastest time possible at answering math problems. Barnum suggests starting with something your child is proficient at so they can get the feel of the game without having to “think” about their answers. This is a great program to use if you are tired of the usual flash cards. My favorite thing was that you are actually trying to beat your own best scores. This was good for my kids because they were really excited when they were able to beat a previous time. My son started off with very easy addition. He quickly moved to multiplication which is a difficult thing for him. This has helped him master many of his multiplication tables. If the player misses a question three times the computer tells them the answer. My son loved that as you answer questions correctly, your horse or car increases speed. What

he liked even more was that if you answer incorrectly it doesn’t slow down. It waits until you get the correct answer and then speeds up again. This is great for kids who get discouraged with incorrect answers.

The Quarter Mile Math is full of great features and is quick and easy to use. It is a great program for our family because it works with all types of learning styles. It is an excellent hands on way to master math. The topics adjust automatically as your student answers correctly. We also loved that it is fun for girls and boys alike.

The topics covered vary greatly and can be seen here. They range from letter recognition and keyboarding to addition, fractions, and estimation. When you purchase the Deluxe Version you have access to all of the levels and your whole family can join in the fun. Several times the kids had to fight Daddy to get to play.

The folks at Barnum really go the extra mile to make sure you understand the program. They have tips and information available on the website to help you get started. They also have a forum where parents and teachers can go to see what everyone else is saying about Quarter Mile Math. They recommend playing this daily for short periods of time to maximize your students success. I had a hard time getting my kids to stop. Even as I am writing this review, my daughter is asking to play “the horse game”.

Barnum has recently added a page for homeschoolers to get the most out of the software. You can view it here.

I really like the fact that you can also learn keyboarding and things other than math. My daughter loved learning where all the letters are. She became very proficient after playing just a few times. This was easier for her than the math so we will work up to math later.

This software program is available in the standard CD version or the Deluxe version. It is available in both a school and home version. The Standard version is a one time only purchase which you can choose from Level 1,2 or 3. You can also choose to purchase all 3 levels for $89.95 and have access to everything they offer. The Deluxe Version is a monthly subscription that is very affordable at $2.95 per family per month. If you are sure you like the software you can get a cheaper price by buying a year subscription for $19.95 or only $34.95 for 2 years. I think this a computer game that most children and a lot of adults will love. It is addictive so be careful!!! I would recommend getting the 2 year Deluxe version because your kids are going to want to keep playing and try to beat their fastest times.

You can see what the other TOS crew members have to say about this great software program by visiting here or by clicking on the TOS link in the sidebar of my blog.

Trusting in his Grace,

Lori