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"Mama, can I do math now? 

Stopping mid-fold, I looked up with surprise at our daughter. The clean towel hung limply in my hands as I tried to comprehend what just happened. 

She's asking to do math. 

After a confused moment the towel was quickly laid aside in my hurry to get our tablet. Settling in next to me, she signed in and began her work with a smile. 

"This is so fun!" 

Stopping the Math Battle

"Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't- you're right." Henry Ford

• Actuaries
• Pharmacists
• Engineers
• Statisticians
• Doctors & Nurses 

We don't want her learning decisions now to limit her job choices later. 

So we were excited to try out SmartickMath. According to their website, 

Smartick is powered by the latest Artificial Intelligence technology: ability based, your child progresses at his or her own pace, building self-confidence, avoiding frustration, and developing a positive attitude to math. 

That sounded promising! And it was easy to include in our homeschool day, too. 

Everyday students log on for 15 minutes of practice (That's it!)  Having short daily sessions maximizes concentration and avoids burnout so kids keep coming back for more. 

It also creates a study habit and helps nurture longer attention spans. 

Yes, she actually smiles while doing Math!

After finishing their daily practice, there's fun games to test logic and build attention spans even more. Because what's the best way to sneak in learning? Games. 

What Smatick Practice Looks Like

Disclosure: I received Smartick access in exchange for a review, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. I only share resources we would use as a family and believe other families would also enjoy. 

Once kids login, they're led through a variety of exercises. If they get it correct, the program builds on that new concept. If they don't, the program works on other areas and stealthily comes back to it later. 

Smartick utilizes Artificial Intelligence technology and adapts- in real time- to your child's unique strengths and weaknesses. 

It encourage each child to do their individual best without being limited to a grade level. 

Smartick does not follow the official curriculum or State standard. Smartick promises to prepare your child to advance faster than in school and beyond what's taught in the classroom. 94% of our students improve their grades in school. 

This improvement is gender-neutral. Smartick actually informed us that from all data collected they see no difference in performance between boys & girls. 

Challenging themselves in front of a computer removes pressure for kids. This allows students to gain self-confidence as they master skills. (Self-confidence that's carried back to their regular Math classroom and beyond.)

These mastered skills help kids earn prizes and diplomas for their virtual world. 

The Fun Doesn't Stop 

This is our kids' favorite part of Smartick! After finishing a session, all the siblings crowd around to see how everyone's going to use their "ticks" (earned points). They can: 

Customize their avatar: Our daughter's character is currently wearing a Frozen dress and carrying a lightsaber. Our son's character has a wizard hat and wand. 

Buy a virtual pet: There are birds, lizards, dogs, cats, and more exotic animals. There's also "daily deals" and pet supplies to keep everyone happy. 

Accessorize their virtual bedroom: Lots of choice, including pillows and toys. Their diplomas for mastered skills get proudly displayed here, too. 

This interest in each other's worlds- and the ability to interact with each other in them- has helped build another important mindset: Connection. 

The Multicultural Advantage

• Communicating a product idea to someone. 
• Organizing resources to create the product. 
• Educating someone on the benefits of the product. 
• Helping people through issues with the product.
• And so on. 

The Do's and Don'ts of Language Learning

A Language Program for Busy Families

Only 18.5% of students in the US are learning a second language in school @pandatreetutors [tweet this]

The interface kept her busy, too. There was a Spanish game for her to play before her lesson began, an interactive lesson with her tutor, then a review game she played at the end. 

1. Communication Skills: When kids grow up speaking in front of their peers, it makes public speaking easier for them when they're older. 
2. Improved Self-Image: Empowering kids to communicate, and respecting their opinions, helps them develop long-lasting confidence in their ideas. 
3. Planning Skills: While building a presentation, kids have the chance to sort through their ideas and arrange them in the best way possible.
4. Knowledge of Content: Teaching what they've learned to others deepens the student's understanding as well as the audience's. 

• CHOOSE A TOPIC- Whether it's based on a book they've read, global warming, or the reasons that Superman could beat Batman in an ultimate show-down, it needs to be something they're passionate about sharing with others. They also need to choose it once and stick with it. 

• RESEARCH, A LOT- A professor once told me that you can't teach what you don't know. No matter their age, equipping students with information gives them confidence in their presentation. It helps them answer questions afterwards, too.

• ORGANIZE YOUR INFORMATION- For younger students, it helps to write down everything they want to share and pick out the most important information together. Or you can use a ready-made template from mysimpleshow to help them organize their material. Perfect for multiple age classrooms! 

• ASSEMBLE VISUALS- This can be a stack of books, an artifact, a collection, or a graphic presentation. They should be helpful, without being distracting.

Advantages of Reading Eggs