3P Learning / Mathletics (TOS Review)

3P Learning, the home of Mathletics, is a web-based math service, providing children a chance to compete with students from around the world, or to rack up points by working through grade-specific content, which includes step-by-step animated support. There is access to additional games at Rainforest Maths, and the students get to go shopping for clothing and backgrounds for their character with the credits they earn from many of the above activities. There are also games that reinforce math concepts. In other words, the students have a variety of ways to interact with math.--from the Review Crew blog

This is a website (or sites, since different countries are assigned their own sites) that our Squirrelings caught onto quickly; it has a format that's familiar to kids who frequent the stuffed-animal or imaginary-pet sites where you play games and win points or other currency that can be exchanged for virtual "stuff" like improvements to your pet's house. The main difference here, that I can see, is that most of the games involve math skills (appropriate to the student's grade level). The site is more extensive than just games; there are lesson segments and even workbooks (see our note at the bottom); but the games, and especially being able to play against other subscribers, seem to be the main attraction. That and being able to fancy up your avatar with the points you've earned. (Someone out there understands tween girls.)

Do kids enjoy it? Do they learn math?

"On Mathletics I like to play the games that I win by doing math. I do subtraction and addition and graphs and multiplication. Sometimes they're adding games, sometimes they're just games. Like catch the tomato. When you win stuff you get a certificate, and you get a gold bar. And when you get a certificate, it goes in the Bronze Cafe or in the Silver Balcony or the Gold Computer. And I just love the Rainforest Maths, even though they're too young for me. ("Do you think it actually helps you with your math?") It helps me learn my math but it also helps me have fun while I'm doing my math. I wish we could never ever quit it."--Crayons, Third Grader

"It improved my division and multiplication drills. I liked playing with people from around the world. It was fun to see who you'd end up with. I liked having the avatar. I thought it looked like me. The activities, like the actual math lessons, were okay. Except that I could never find the instructions...like the area of a circle, it wouldn't tell you how to do it. I think it was this question mark button, but when I clicked it, it wouldn't let me go. I thought it was an overall pretty good program. 4.5 out of 5."--Ponytails, Seventh Grader

Does Mathletics support homeschoolers?

"While Mathletics is used in schools in over 200 countries, they also support homeschooling. You can view a six page brochure about Mathletics and homeschooling here. "--from the Crew blog

Any frustrations?

While I appreciate that the program is available in a format tailored for Canadians and those in other countries, it was somewhat frustrating not being able to access the parent site even to write this review. If you're in Canada and you click on http://www.mathletics.com/ , you're automatically redirected to http://www.mathletics.ca/.

I also remain somewhat confused about the availability of printable workbooks; on the Canadian site, I don't even see a button to download them. An email from the company indicated that workbooks were only available for download by schools, but Review Crew members in the U.S. said they could access them with their trial memberships. So if that's a feature that interests you, you might want to clarify the question of their availability to individual families.

My final frustration is simply the price difference between American and Canadian subscriptions. The Review Crew blog says that "Mathletics [costs] $59 per student per year. If you know the Human Calculator’s favorite number (hint: it’s ‘9’!) and you enter that when asked, you can purchase a single child subscription for $49.95 for a year at their website." This applies only to users in the United States; the subscription price in Canada is $99 per child per year, with a small discount for additional children in the same family. This difference in price seems excessive, and in fact it's the only reason I won't be renewing our subscription although the girls have said they'd like to continue.

For more reviews of this product, see the Review Crew website.

Dewey's Disclaimer: A 45-day subscription was received free for review purposes. No other payment was made. The opinions expressed in this review are our own.