FactsFirst is Saxon’s answer to the growing trend of online subscription sites for educational games. You don’t have to use Saxon’s math curriculum, however, to use this website. The site is interactive, intuitive for most children, and flexible. Of all the math subscription sites we’ve reviewed this year (this is the third), we like this one the best. Why?
1. The lessons: each time the student logs in, they are taken to a screen with choices for which math fact they want to practice. However, before going into the fact sheet, the student receives a short lesson on the specific facts they will be working on. My children like this refresher before being tested.
The lessons are real-world scenarios. Today my daughter told me that she “went bowling, shopping, and camping” while on FactsFirst.
Once they move through the lesson (it doesn’t allow you to skip to the test), they take the timed test and receive their results.
2. The matrix: This feedback tool for parents gives me an immediate picture of which facts my children have mastered and which ones still need work. It is easy to read and understand.
3. Limited games. Each lesson ends with a period of arcade style games reviewing the facts from the lesson but in a way that is even more fun than the lessons/tests themselves. On some of the other sites, my children would spend more time in the games than in the fact practice. This site will not allow you to go to games until you have completed a lesson. The child earns game time with each completed lesson.
What else do I like?
1. Flexibility with timing. My 7 year old freezes up every time she sees or senses time ticking away. In this program, I can lengthen her response time so that she can answer the facts without the pressure of time. As she becomes more familiar I will shorted her time and have her go back through the lessons with that new time limit. You can even set it to “untimed” which I’ve used with my kindergarten daughter who is just learning her math facts. I don’t see any need to time her, but she wants to do this like her older siblings.
2. The price and ease of access: Most of the websites have discounts for multiple children, but with this one, I can pay one license fee and receive four student accounts. We log-in once and then choose which child. My children don’t have to remember passwords. For $49.95 you receive a year’s access for up to four children. This is the first website I’ve been tempted to add to my homeschool shopping list for next school year.
Disclaimer: FactsFirst/Saxon provided us with a trial subscription for the purpose of reviewing the site. The opinions expressed here are my own, based on our family’s experience in using the site. I received no other compensation.
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