Math Galaxy- A Review – The Delight Directed Homeschooler

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Oh math… why must you torment me so! Y’all… I barely survived Algebra the first time around. I was one of those students who barely scraped by. They passed me on when they shouldn’t have. I had NO IDEA what I was doing… but I didn’t know how to ask for help. I didn’t know what questions to ask.. so I just kept moving.

When I started homeschooling, I didn’t think much past elementary school math. I had gone into the whole venture thinking we would take a year at a time. I did not know at the time that I would one day be teaching Algebra to a reluctant teen. I am so, so thankful for all the awesome products and helps that are available. We were recently given the opportunity to try out multiple apps from Math Galaxy. The apps we received are iOS apps (you need an iPhone or iPad), available from the app store. Here are the apps we received:

Top Row: Times Tables Balloon Pop, 3rd Grade Math, 4th Grade Math, Pre-Algebra Fundamentals.
Bottom Row: Whole Number Riddles, Addition and Subtraction Balloon Pop, Fraction Riddles, Algebra Fundamentals

In addition to all those amazing apps, we also received a selection of eBooks.

Whole Numbers
Fractions
Decimals, Proportions, Percents
Algebra

Ones that my younger girls really enjoy are the Whole Number eBooks. You can download a sample from Math Galaxy. Scroll down when you get to the home page. The eBooks are towards the bottom. I like the Whole Number Riddles (pictured above). We had this in the app as well as the eBook. I think riddles just make math more fun. My kids always like it when we break from the norm.

The eBooks are easy to download. You can print the sheets you need. Answers are included.

We had several apps to explore. I am going to share with you about a few.

Times Tables Balloon Pop

When you enter the app, you are taken to the above screen. You can select which times tables you want to work on.

Once you select your desired range for practicing, this screen appears. The problem is at the top. It took a second for us to find the problem. It is written in white and kind of blends in with everything else. Once we got the hang of it, we were golden. The screen starts off with five balloons to choose from. There is also a grid (see the green apples) to help kids further visualize the problem. You must pop the balloon with the correct answer to move on to the next problem. If you do not pop the correct balloon, you can keep trying until you get it right. This app (and the Addition and Subtraction Balloon Pop app) are very effective and helpful for reinforcing math facts.

3rd Grade Math

When you enter the 3rd Grade Math App, you are met with this screen. You can select which skill you want to work on. It is like having a personal tutor.

We enjoy games. So, of course that is one of the first things my girl clicked on. She chose Snakes and Ladders. You can play one-player (against the computer) or 2 player (against a parent or sibling).

The game is great. You have a math problem you must solve. If you get it correct, the spinner spins and you can move your piece on the game board. So fun!

My math students span from 8 years old to 15 years old. One one hand we are working on subtracting with regrouping. On the other, we are deep in Algebraic equations. Math Galaxy has it all. The apps cover all the math!

Algebra Fundamentals

Here is the screen you see when you enter the Algebra Fundamentals App. This is fantastic. My son, who uses Saxon primarily, can go to the specific subject he is struggling with to get help. He can also review and strengthen those areas where he has had success.

You can click to review and receive instruction or you can click to do some practice problems.

Over all, I really like the Math Galaxy apps. In all honesty, the colors were a bit bright and hard on my eyes. Some of the apps are a little busy and hard to follow. In other words, there is a lot going on visually and that can make it hard to press through to see the goodness if you have a student who is easily over stimulated.

The pros of this app far outweigh the visual cons I experienced. There is so, so much good stuff available. Seriously… it is like having a personal tutor at your fingertips. The program helps to make abstract concepts more concrete. We will likely use the games and riddle apps more than the others, but that is simply because my kids are already knee deep in Math U See. I love having options though. I find that most kids need concepts taught in a few different ways to seal it in their brains and make it make sense.