As I noted last October, I was looking for alternatives to flash cards to help one of my daughters learn addition and subtraction facts. One alternative I came across was the Math Trekker™ Addition and Subtraction flash card game.
This game serves the same purpose as flash cards, but it is in an electronic format. In my experience, kids are more open to electronic formats because they are used to them—electronics seem less boring than paper flash cards.
Math Trekker™ Addition and Subtraction is a handheld device. It has a switch at the bottom that allows you to choose addition facts or subtraction facts. Once you choose which to address and turn on the game, the screen prompts you to choose a level. The level determines which numbers will be used in the addition or subtraction problems. For example, if you are doing addition and choose Level 2, then all the problems will be 2 plus some number between 0 and 12 (2 + 5, 2 + 11, 2 + 4, etc.). Likewise, if you are doing subtraction and choose Level 12, then all the problems will be some number between 12 and 24 minus 12 (21 – 12, 19 – 12, 12 – 12, etc.). There is also a “mixed” level for both the addition and subtraction settings. This provides students with 13 random addition or subtraction problems.
If the student enters an incorrect answer, then the screen shows “XXX.” This problem is then shown again at the end of the level so the student can try again. The game is timed, so when the student completes a level, the screen lets him or her know how long it took to complete. It makes beeping noises when you select levels and enter numbers, but (thankfully) there is a mute button so you can turn the noise off.
We’ve really appreciated this game. It doesn’t take up a lot of space, so we can easily take it with us in the car and to medical appointments. It’s simple to operate, so my daughter can do so without assistance. Because it has different levels, she can choose a particular level to practice if she is struggling with those numbers, but she can also choose the mixed option to practice all the addition or subtraction facts. This game accomplishes the same thing as flash cards, but it is much more engaging!
Thus far, I’ve noted just three flaws with the game. One is that there is no way to erase an answer once you’ve entered it. For example, if the problem is 1 + 2 and you accidently hit the 6 instead of the 3, then there is no way to delete the 6 and enter the correct number. You must submit the incorrect answer (as noted above, the game will let you know with “XXX” that the answer is wrong) and wait until the end of the level to enter the correct answer. It would be nice if, when you realize you’ve made a mistake, you could delete the answer and enter the correct one. The second flaw I’ve noted is that the game doesn’t provide the correct answer when a student answers incorrectly. The game shows “XXX,” but then moves on to the next question. It would be nice if the game first provided the correct answer for the student. The final flaw is that the game doesn’t use standard AA or AAA batteries. It uses AG 13/LR44 batteries, which we don’t usually keep on hand.
I’m glad we purchased this little game! The price was about $12 when we purchased it, which isn’t much more than most sets of flashcards. However, it is more interesting to my daughter than flash cards, which is great because it generates a bit more enthusiasm for reviewing addition and subtraction facts. It would be great for any child who needs practice but is hesitant to use flash cards and who dislikes completing pages of addition and subtraction facts.
What tools have you found beneficial for reviewing addition and subtraction facts?
Leave a Reply