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TOS Crew Product Review ~ Mad Dog Math

Today I am reviewing the math program Mad Dog Math. It is a program aimed at developing mastery of all the math facts in students of all ages. By "all the math facts" I mean addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; by "all ages" I mean Kindergarten through high school. It's an all-encompassing program!

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The PC version of this program is very easy to install and setting up accounts for each child using Mad Dog Math is a breeze. It's nice to use a computer-based program that is quick and easy to set up, as most homeschool moms don't have a lot of extra time to spend following confusing instructions! Ease of use is pretty high up on my requirement list when choosing curriculum and I am very pleased with Mad Dog Math is this category.

Right away I liked the fact that with Mad Dog Math, I can choose which level I want my children to work on. For example, when working on lesson plans, it's very easy to assign an older child a timed lesson focusing on the most challenging multiplication facts while also assigning a non-timed lesson on early addition to a younger child. The student is able to choose their own level, too. It's rare to have both options available with PC based math programs, and I have found that kids like the ability to "take charge" of certain portions of their studies. Math fact practice is an excellent way for homeschool students to learn how to take responsibility for their own learning. (Lest you think I am a homeschooling mom who watches TV all day while my kids try and do school all by their lonesome, let me assure you that's not me at all! I do, however, advocate young people gradually taking on more responsibility for their education in order that they be well prepared for college.)

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Mad Dog Math is not a stand-alone math curriculum; rather it is a supplement to whatever math program you are currently using. It is created for use with K-5th grade, middle school, and even high school. The daily time commitment for Mad Dog Math is about 10 minutes - I think most every homeschool mom can fit in an extra 10 minutes for math fact mastery!

One of the aims of this program is to keep the "mass" of math facts from seeming so overwhelming to students. A young student can feel as if they will NEVER be able to learn all those facts, while an older student who has struggled with their math facts can be intimidated by how little they feel they have learned. Having the facts broken into manageable amounts provides relief for the younger and older child.

When setting up each account, you can choose English or Spanish (and yes, the homeschool mom in me immediately thought it would be great to have my children choose Spanish so they could practice using the foreign language they are learning!). I mentioned previously that you can choose the level each student works on. You are also able to make selections for time limits, fact families, and with the PC version you can easily see just how much progress each student has made.

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At the website www.MadDogMath.com you can watch an informational video, look at their full product line, read testimonials, contact them with any questions you might have, and see how Mad Dog Math is best used in the homeschool setting (see the tab titled "Home Use"). They have shared a couple of educational links, too, and they have plans for a online version (coming soon - so check back often!).

Their products include the "Mad Dog Math - At Home" download (a Windows PC app) priced from $19.99 - $39.99; the "Homeschool Mastery Binder" for $69.99 (or as a CD-Rom for the same price); the "Middle / High School Binder" for $89.99; flash cards are available for $14.99; they also sell a cute little timer and some other items online at www.MadDogMath.com

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This would be a great summer supplement to help ensure none of the hard work you and your children have done during the academic year is lost while taking a break from daily school work. And since it only takes 10 minutes a day, the kids won't feel like they are giving up any of their summer play time :)

Thanks for taking a few moments to read this review - have a blessed homeschool day!

Day 95 done :)

Jan L. Burt
www.HomeschoolingMothersBibleStudy.com

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