Math Galaxy – TOS review

We have been blessed with a lot of great math programs this year as part of the TOS crew. Math Galaxy is no exception. I received download versions of their products as part of this review. If you decide this is something you would like to use in your family, you would be receiving CD’s. You need a computer Windows 98 or later or Mac OS X and a CD-ROM drive for installation. Some of the different parts use Java Plug-in which you would have to download before using.

So, what is Math Galaxy? It is 12 different computer based products that help reinforce math topics. This is not a complete curriculum.

There are the 12 topics you can pick from. I received all of these to review but mainly used the Whole #’s, Printable Worksheets and Printable Riddles. Griffin did use the Fraction’s and Word problem ones also.

• Whole Numbers (Adding, Subtracting, Multiplication, etc.)
• Fractions
• Decimals
• Ratio’s, Proportions and percents
• Shapes and Measurement
• Data Analysis
• Algebra
• Word Problem Fun
• Math Riddles
• Labyrinth
• Printable Worksheets
• Printable Riddles.

It starts from the beginning, with addition, multiplication tables and single-digit operations. But, it’s main focus is on multi-step problem solving. This is where most students start to have problems. This is a very basic product that doesn’t really have a lot of frills, but what it does have is a lot of practice questions for your child.

Math Galaxy is great because it focuses on only one concept at a time. Bella had a great time doing addition and subtraction. One of the CD’s is called Riddles. This made it a lot of fun for Bella. She really liked finding the answers to these riddles and asked me to keep printing them off for her.

The real answer to learning math is consistency. If your student likes a variety of ways to reinforce math facts, then this probably would be great for your family. This is great to supplement any math curriculum you are currently using.

Fractions Fun is what Griffin enjoyed doing. Even though it had been awhile since we covered fractions, he quickly remembered when doing this program.

He also liked the games. There are several to choose from. On one you get to build a bridge through a swamp and then there are also riddles and word scrambles. A good thing in my opinion, is that they must finish problems before being allowed to play the games. This gives good incentive to finish their work. We printed out a few of the riddles using multiplication for him and he finished in record time.

You can also get a worksheet generator for Whole Numbers; Fractions; Decimals, Proportions, percentages and Algebra.which helps if you need practice on any certain topic. These were easy to use and really come in handy for when there is just one thing they can’t quite conquer. These can either be done on the computer or printed out.

Each program costs $29.95 and is available as a CD (with free shipping) from their website. You can pay with check, money order or credit card through PayPal. This seemed a little high to me until I realized you can use it for years to reinforce your main math curriculum. You can also purchase ebooks of the Math Riddlers, giving you a sample of the program for $14.95. These can all be purchased on their website at www.math galaxy.com.

If you would like to “tour their galaxy” (see examples) you can do a guided tour at the website also. This is a great way to see if this is a good fit for your family. We enjoyed using this and I can see us using it for years to come as we learn more math concepts.

The only think I would have liked to be different was a better way to determine where to start each child. I had a hard time finding the correct level for Griffin and Bella. Some of them have grade ranges but others don’t.

If you are looking for an easy to use, no frills math program, Math Galaxy might be just what your family is looking for. The great thing is that any family can use this, not just homeschooling families. This would be great for kids in school to use at night for extra practice.

You also get a 30 day money back guarantee so there is really nothing to lose if you try it.

Please don’t just take my word for it, check out what the crew has to say about Math Galaxy for yourself.

** Please note that I received a free copy of 12 math programs from Math Galaxy in exchange for my honest opinion in this review. No other compensation was provided.

Thanks to TOS and Math Galaxy for this opportunity.