Mood:  a-ok

I remember going to the fair when I was younger. My mom always had a stand set up for her business, so we would practically go everyday. I would have a blast! I would visit all of the displays, go to the animal barns, walk the midway. One of my favorite things to do was play some of the carnival games. One game that I liked was a race game that involved rolling a ball and trying to get it to drop through holes on a board. Each hole had a different point value that would determine how far your race car would move on the track. I remember playing with my older brother one day and begging him for more money to play just one more game. After one bout of pleading, he looked at me and said "Tim, you're addicted." And you know what? I was! The thrill of the race cars moving across the track and the anticipation of whether or not I could hold first place until the finish line would get me every time.

That's the kind of excitement that I felt when I first played Quarter Mile Math. Quarter Mile Math is a research based computer math review game and is very similar to the game that I used to play at the fair, but, instead of rolling balls into holes, you are answering math questions! The TOS Homeschool Crew was very blessed to have received the Deluxe Version of Quarter Mile to review. After opening the package and following the simple installation instructions, the kids were on their way. First you enter your name and choose a password. Then you determine what math concept that you would like to review. Quarter Mile has almost every arithmetic concept that you can think of from very simple keyboarding and counting skills for a kindergärtner to complex pre-algebra problems. As soon as you've chosen a concept, you begin your race. A math problem will flash onto the screen. If you answer it correctly, your car moves forward, if you don't, your car stands still and you receive another chance to answer the question. After a few missed tries, the computer will flash the correct answer, wait for you to punch it in, and then bring up another problem. You begin by racing five computer generated opponents but, after a few races, those opponents become your five best previous times. So, you are actually racing against yourself! As you keep getting better and receive better times, your opponents get faster because your new, better times replace your old races. If your child gets bored with cars, he can switch to riderless horses racing through a meadow! There are even sound effects that your child can enjoy while they are racing.

There are two ways that you can purchase Quarter Mile Math. You can purchase either the Deluxe Version or the Standard Version. With the Deluxe Version you have to have access to the internet because you have to download the program. However, you can download it on multiple computers at no extra charge so that more than one student can use it at a time. The internet also tracks your child's progress and you can access the number of topics that your child has practiced, how many races he participated in, and how many correct answers he got. It also allows your children to actually race against another opponent! You can even have it installed on grandpa's computer in another state and race against him! Your child never goes to the web, so there is no worry there. The Deluxe Version also comes with every topic, from kindergarten level up to pre-algebra. You can even order a back up CD if you wish.

Don't have the internet? No problem! You can order the Standard Version. The Standard Version has all of the regular features that the Deluxe Version has, but since there is no internet, there are a few differences. You obviously can't play against someone on another computer, and, although the game will keep track of your times, it won't have the other report features that the Deluxe Version has. The Standard Version allows you to install it on different computers, but since you need the CD to play, two students can't play at the same time on two different computers. With the Standard Version the topics are divided into three levels - grades k-3, 4-6, and 6-9. You can buy each one separately, or buy one of Barnum Softwares bundle packages.

By this time you might be thinking "This sounds great, but does it really work?" You could look at some of the 200+ positive comments that are listed on their website, or ask any of the Sylvan Learning Centers if their students have progressed, but let me give you a personal testimony. I can assure you that it does work. Joshua is just learning addition, so he worked on his addition skills. John Allen, chose to review his multiplication facts first, then moved on to fraction skills. I was amazed at how both of them advanced, but especially at Joshua, our Asperger's child. He has been having a lot of problems just learning his basic addition skills. Quarter Mile has it broken down so that you can review addition skills in increments. We began with addition up to 3+3. In just a couple of days he had those mastered so we moved up to 4+4. He whizzed through those in less than a week. The past few days, he has been working on 5+5 and has been making great progress! Last year Joshua really excelled in reading. This year we prayed that his math skills would really take off, and so far they have! Quarter Mile Math has been a big part of the reason. We are sold on it!

The cost is very reasonable. The Deluxe Version is $2.95 per family a month, $19.95 per family per year, or $34.95 per family for two years. The Standard Version costs from $39.95 - $89.95 depending on the level or bundle that you choose to purchase. BUT, if you decide to purchase before September 30, 2009, you can use Referal Code "7P7E7" to get $5 off any purchase! Have you ever heard the saying "Membership has its priveliges?" When you buy Quarter Mile Math, you can participate in the membership forum and take advantage of the homeschool section of the Barnum Software website. If your still not sure, click here or on any one of the highlighted areas above, and you can download a demo. There's nothing to lose. Check it out now, and Happy Racing!

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