Dream Big, DreamBox Learning

One of the things that attracted me to my husband was that (don't laugh) he's awesome at math. He got a college scholarship based on his math abilities. His dad was a chemistry professor. Its in his genetics! I've always hoped our spawn would inherit the "good at advanced math" gene or at least balance out my "horrible at advanced math" gene. But I've always figured it can't hurt to hedge my bets. That why I was very, very excited about the prospect of reviewing DreamBox Learning system.

DreamBox Learning is a website filled with lots of interactive games -- all in the name of strengthening kids' math skills. The curriculum was designed for kids at a math level of kindergarten to second grade and "adheres to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards," claims their site.

When I explained the concept to my son, he was very excited. He's six years old. It was a big thrill to see his name on the screen. And he took a full 10 minutes to choose his password and avatar. (Oh the choices!)

The games are part of a number of adventures. And if you get tired of pirates, you can always go to the pets or another section. Seth especially liked the dinosaur section. That's where he spent most of his time. And he liked that every time he answered a question right, a funny sound effect and graphic would appear. Seth really enjoyed earning coins after successfully completing a mission. I explained that he could then use them on certain carnival games. But he kept wanting to save them.

The voice on the website was clear and easy to understand. (The DreamBox Learning characters are very cute and fun by the way.) The directions were also given in a concise way. My son, who has a problem following directions sometimes, had no problems following directions when he worked on the site.

From what I read of other Parent Blogger Network Reviews, quite a few people were able to let their kids play independently. Seth is a kid that finds it very difficult to sit still. He demands ALOT of attention and interaction from those around him. Suffice to say, Seth wasn't one of those kids who played DreamBox by himself. But that's definitely no fault of DreamBox. In fact, Seth and I enjoyed snuggling up while he played the game. It was a nice way to calm down from the day.

Also, other reviewers received an email after sessions. The email would let them know what concepts their child had mastered. Oddly enough, I didn't get these emails. I did get the "I miss you" emails though. (Dude. If its a great day? His little butt is outside.) But I was able to log into the Parent Dashboard and see his progress and find out how much time we'd spent on the site.

I was surprised by the vivid graphics and how responsive the learning system is. I am impressed by how the program adjusts the degree of difficulty for the child based on his or her ongoing performance. It not just reinforced what Seth already knows but it was set up in a way to give him a gentle nudge toward learning new things.

All in all, I found it to be a solid, clever site. Subscription plans for the site start at $8.33 a month. If you want to explore it before you buy, you can get a free two-week trial.

This review was written on behalf of Parent Bloggers Network.