Smartick: Mathematics for Children

At the beginning of summer I was offered a complimentary family account for Grant try Smartick: Mathematics for Children. Being a teacher, I know that there is around a 30% retention loss for kids over summer break if they don't continue to practice skills they already know, or work on learning new skills. I had a pretty good plan for reading and writing, but other than leftover math worksheets that Grant hadn't completed in his math booklet from first grade, I wasn't sure what I'd do. There are a number of fun math apps. out there, but Smartick is definitely a step above the other apps we have.

Memberships vary for an individual or family, and you can choose how many months you want to sign up for too. So, whether you want to keep your kid ahead of the curve and get in continual math practice before school starts, or if your child is struggling and can use some more practice, this app will be great for your child!

When signing up we put in Grant's information, grade level, age, etc. Then he did a baseline assessment of his skills. What makes Smartick special is that it self-adjusts to the child's ability and grows with them.

I have Grant complete this fifteen minute (estimated) program Monday-Friday and he usually finishes in less than fifteen minutes. He usually does this independently after breakfast while I'm getting ready, but if he is stuck on something I'll help him clarify.

This program can be used on the computer, or there is an apple for both Google and Apple that can be downloaded for free too. When you sign in it looks like this:

San Diego

I know it's been quiet around here, honestly things have been super busy, I've had very little down time, and when I do, I just haven't wanted to spend the time blogging. I did however, want to share Brian and my trip to San Diego a few weeks back. 

Brian and I have literally not taken a trip, just the two of us since getting married nearly a decade ago. It was wonderful and we've decided it needs to be something we do each year for a few days. We are lucky that my mom was willing and able to come stay with the kids, otherwise, this trip couldn't have happened.

One of our first spots was Mission Beach, which is evidently super popular. We literally drove around for an hour and a half trying to find a parking spot, it was pretty crazy! Once we got a spot though we could see what all the fuss was about. The beach was beautiful and we ate a a super yummy sushi joint too.