TOS Review - Math Rider

 When MathRider was listed as one of the vendors I could possibly review for TOS, I was so excited. When I got picked to review this product, I was elated! :)  I have a horse loving gal who needs help with her math facts. What a perfect combination!

This is another product that came from someone seeing a need, in this case in the developers own daughter, and went about doing something about it. I love to hear stories like this. :)

MathRider takes your student on different quests through The Mathlands.

They can choose from Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division. Within each of those they can choose from easy, medium or difficult, which changes how far they travel in their quest. They can also change what numbers are used in the quest. Don't know the 12's yet? That's ok, from the pull down menu, change the number to 10, or whatever number it is you are desiring to work on.

Watch this video to see a demonstration of MathRider

To accomplish your quests you need to complete a series of math facts. The horse and rider, who in the story is identified as "you" :),  appear at the bottom of the screen. As they ride along they encounter hurdles with a math fact listed below them. In order to clear the hurdle the math fact has to be entered correctly.

The faster you work, the faster you ride and you'll get a higher score. However, the game will adjust to your speed. So if you're slower, the game will slow down to meet you at your ability.

 You can see the progress at the top of each screen

 Each section of The Mathlands has different scenery, so you feel as though you are traveling through different lands on your quest. 

As you complete the quests different pieces of your kingdom appear on your main page, where all quests begin. When all quests are completed, your castle and lands are complete.

There is an area for practice, where the scores are not recorded and don't affect your overall performance. There is also an area that shows the statistics for your student and how they are performing for each math operation.

 example of statistics. 

The grid shows areas of mastery (green), areas that need work (red and orange) and facts not worked on yet (gray).

How this product worked in our home:

I created accounts for my 11 and 9 year old daughters as well as myself, my target student being my 11 year old.  She enjoyed the quests and trying to complete them. The graphics were simple drawings and the music was quiet. There's not a lot of flash in this product, which is why it's perfect for this particular daughter. She's easily distracted if there's a lot going on in a video, whether it be flashy characters, lots of movement or loud music and words, she loses her focus on the task she's trying to accomplish. MathRider's very simple, childlike comic book drawings and quiet music, accompanying the rider on his quest, enabled her to enjoy the product and still focus on her task, which was to learn her math facts!

Would I recommend this game to other parents whose children struggle with math facts? Yes, with a caveat. For those that are used to computer games and expect a certain level of "entertainment", due to the low level of exciting graphics, they might find this product dull and uninteresting. If they have a child like mine, who rarely plays computer games or needs a less overstimulating media, then yes, I would recommend this product as a fun way to reinforce math facts.

How to purchase:
MathRider is available as a download only and can be ordered at MathRider's main website. The retail price is $49.95 US dollars but right now, it's on sale for $37 US dollars.   You can check out the system requirements here, to make sure that your computer is compatible before you purchase. MathRider also offers a 30 day money back guarantee.

To see what others on TOS crew thought of MathRider, click here.

I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it.  I received no other compensation for this review.  The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions.