Personal Trainer: Math for the Nintendo DS

January 30, 2009

How long has it been since you found yourself sitting in a math classroom?  If you are like me, if has been ages.  To me that is a blessing.  You see, math and I don’t really get along.  It goes back many, many years.

When I was in 8th grade, I was a math Super Star!  I was taking high school Algebra and though it was easy.  I had it down.  I enjoyed it.  I was proud of myself that I was good in math.  Then came the final six weeks period of that 8th grade year.  You see, my Algebra teacher decided that I just wasn’t “getting it” and that perhaps the previous 5 six weeks of classes just didn’t sink in for me.  She told me that she didn’t feel I was “good enough” for the class and decided to remove me.  That’s right. With one 6 week grading period left she suddenly decided I couldn’t cut it and removed me from the class.  All of the hard work from that year was gone.  I was moved to honors math and lost all of my Algebra credits.  I was stung.

Something inside me broke when it came to math.  In some twisted way my brain began to believe I was terrible at  math.  From that time on, math and I became bitter enemies. Not only did I lose my confidence in math, but in school.  That one teacher took someone who was confident and excited about a subject and slammed it into the ground. Even today, I shudder at the words “Algebra” and “math” because, I just “couldn’t get it” like the smart kids.

Well, I am taking that back!

I am not alone in my math feelings.

A new survey, conducted by Wakefield Research for Nintendo, confirms that math anxiety is alive and well among U.S. kids. In fact, of 400 children surveyed, one in five believe that they are more likely to grow up to become a professional athlete, actor or singer than they are to get A’s and B’s in math next year.

Math Named Most Difficult School Subject.  More than any other subject, kids say that they struggle the most with math.  Thirty-four percent of kids feel that math is their hardest subject versus a quarter (25%) for social studies, 21 percent for English, and 15 percent for science.

 

Kids Divided on Math.  Thirty-one percent of kids have extremely negative feelings about math.  When asked to describe their feelings about math, eighteen percent say that it’s “boring” and thirteen percent actually call it “torture.”

 

Hollywood or Hoops Before the Honor Roll.  Some kids can hardly imagine a world in which they’re good at math.  Amazingly, twenty-two percent of kids think that they’re more likely to grow up to become a professional athlete or an actress or singer, than they are to get all As and Bs in math next year.

 

Kids Aren’t Counting on Math.  Twenty-one percent of kids think that they’re more likely to be famous when they grow up than they are to use math as adults – meaning that kids think they’re more likely to be the next Miley Cyrus or LeBron James than to use addition or subtraction at the supermarket. 

 

But parents know better.

 

Hindsight is 20/20.  Eighty-six percent of parents say that math is important in their careers.  This, despite the fact that fifty-two percent of parents say that when they were kids, they thought that they’d never need the math that they learned in school.

Enter Personal Trainer: Math for the Nintendo DS.  I was sent this for my kids to show them math can be fun but I have to admit, I took it upon myself to get over my math hatred.

Personal Trainer: Math uses a number of activities to keep you coming back every day for consistent and effective math training. Fun daily exercises get your brain churning through simple math problems presented in quick succession.I actually use this daily to retrain my brain when it comes to math.  (We will become friends again!)

Personal Trainer: Math automatically keeps track of your completion time for each exercise, monitors your daily progress, and gives you new activities when you’re ready to advance. Whether you want to get your child excited about his/her math class (when I let them actually play) or keep your own skills sharp (also known as making up with Math), it’s easy and enjoyable thanks to the stylus-led controls of the Nintendo DS.   To see the progress and get the “you go girl” reinforcement has been great!  I am getting back into the basics and am learning to not fear and hate Math now!

Honestly, this game keeps math fun.  (Or reminds you that it can be fun if you are like me.)  Now, I know that this was for my kids to keep their brains active, but I really enjoy it, too!

Daily Testing:

Daily Testing gives you a test made up of three exercises that match your level of study. You can only complete the test once per day. If you take the test every day and get a good score, you will be able to move up to the next level after a few days. If you seem to require a little more practice, then you will be presented with the same exercises the next day (although the questions will be different). There are 20 levels of study in all.  When I rock that final level, I am SO sending my old math teacher an email with nothing more than the word: HA!

Personal Trainer: Math uses the Kageyama method.  What is that? (That is what I asked, too!)  It is simple:

The 100-Cell Math approach is a technique used to help students learn fundamental arithmetic.  It involves adding, subtracting, or multiplying numbers along the sides and top or a 10×10 grid and writing their answers in corresponding  boxes with the Nintedo DS stylus.  Start with only 10 cells, and gradually move up to 30, 50 and all 100 cells.  In Personal Trainer: Math, this is just one fun and fast-paced lesson to tackle when you selct Kageyama Method on the main menu.

Thanks to Personal Trainer: Math, I am making up with an old friend:  Math.  By the end of the game, I just may ask it to prom we will be on such good terms.And seriously, even though I have math issues and am using it for my own gain, it is an excellent tool to show your kids that math can be fun and not something that is just work and boring.   It even keeps “attendance” so I can see how my kids are doing and what their progress is.  (Even if they do pass me up.  Not that I will let that happen!)

This game is for players of all ages and backgrounds.   In fact, my daughter and I are constantly snagging the game from each other.  It is a great way for anyone to brush up on their math skills.

When it comes to educational games, Nintendo has this one down.  They know how to take something that may have a reputation for being hard or boring and making it fun and enjoyable.  I definitely recommend Personal Trainer: Math to anyone who wants to brush up on their math skills.

Or just someone who wants to stick it to an old teacher.

 

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