Math is certainly a subject that is discussed and focused on in our homeschool and, unfortunately, it has been cried over many times. We have tried NUMEROUS math curriculums in the past and settled on one that worked for us. However, my daughter has continued to have trouble catching back up to a grade level that matches her peers. This has not been a problem in the past but will in the next year due to a group we are a part of; therefore, we have been focusing on a little “catch up” in math. This is where LearnBop enters and we are so excited that we found this program. LearnBop for Families from LearnBop is a great program to help bridge the gaps in math and we have had the opportunity to review it.
LearnBop for Families from LearnBop is an online Math subscription program designed to personalize a math program for your math student to help fill in gaps or keep them moving on math concepts that they need to keep learning.
What is LearnBop
LearnBop has two subscription possibilities- LearnBop for Schools and LearnBop for Families. LearnBop for Families is what we received – we received a 12 month subscription for up to 4 family members to use. We used this with our 5th grade daughter and 1st grade son.
Though the program states that LearnBop is for 3rd to 12th graders, the lessons accommodate back to 1st grade level, which is why it worked with great for my 1st grader as well.
How We Used It and Features
We used the program with our 5th grader and our 1st grader. We used it for our 5th grader to identify gaps in her math and see if we could help bring her up to a higher level in her math skills
We used the program with our 1st grader to allow him to work on concepts that would help him better understand since we haven’t been using a full curriculum with him yet, though he has shown interest in math and his math skills were improving quickly.
Both used the programs several times a week on the lesson plan that the program customized for each of them.
The first step in the process is for the student to take a placement test. This will identify skills the student has not mastered and then customize a learning plan, called a “roadmap,” for the student. Both kids did this and a roadmap was established.
Roadmaps can also be manually changed by the parent and individualized by grade, subject or by high school algebra or geometry. This can be manually changed in the parent dashboard by student. The parent dashboard also allows the parents to view the progress of the student on their roadmap, see where they are in their journey, how much time they have spent and what milestones achieved. The number of videos viewed and concepts mastered is also displayed for the parents to review.
My daughter did the test and it gave her a roadmap and she got started right away. Roadmaps are broken down into concepts/skills to work on. For instance, hers included Numbers & Operations in Base Ten, Decimal Place Value, Unit Fraction Division, and Coordinating Planes, to name a few. My 1st graders included addition and subtraction, area, and basic math skills.
The student begins each unit with a warm up exercise to determine the best place to begin. Then the student watches videos on the concepts, 2 to 3 videos that are approximately 5-10 minutes, and then completes “bops” to practice what is learned. A percentage grade is given to show if the student has mastered or needs to keep going. Each unit has an optional extra video for each concept as well. The student works until mastery. The percentage to have “mastered” can be changed by the parents; however, it is set at 80 percent. We changed ours to 90 percent. Once the student has mastered at the percentage set, the concept is marked “mastered” and the student can move on. However, they can move on and come BACK to concepts so they are not stuck on one concept they having trouble with, which I liked.
The student also receives “achievements” as they move along their roadmap. Some of the achievements they can earn include “staying focused,” “first concept mastered,” “mastered 10 building blocks,” and “5 hours on LearnBop,” to name a few.
What We Thought
Well, I have to say, I was skeptical because we have had some not-so-good experiences with math curriculum. But since I was considering a summer math tutor for her, I was definitely anxious to give this a try. So, what’s the verdict — SUCCESS!
There was no crying or whining with LearnBop . Once the first placement test was over, the kids got started right away. They worked through the videos and the “bops” and then were done for the day. Next day they either watched more videos and worked through the bop again if they didn’t master or moved onto the next if they mastered the concept.
The roadmap was easy to understand and I would say very accurate for my 5th grader in particular. We had had some place value issues going in and this was something that was identified immediately. She then watched the videos, worked through the problems and mastered the first concept right away. She worked through the next and did the same. It was very encouraging her to have the concept broken down into “bite size pieces” to work on and master. She did not get upset or overwhelmed. She is working through them at her pace and doing very well.
With my son, it was a little more difficult getting started because the placement test is definitely geared toward older math students; therefore he was frustrated that he couldn’t answer most of the questions. However, once we were through the test and got started, it wasn’t too bad. I sat and worked through the videos with him because he is a beginning reader and can’t read well on the screens. But the math videos he was able to understand and answer the questions.
Overall, I liked that the roadmap was easy to understand and work through; that the lessons were small and easy for the kids to work through; and that there were small rewards and achievements along the way for positive reinforcement.
We liked the program and will be continuing it with my 5th grader all summer as a way to work on bridging the gaps in her math before fall. We may continue using with my 1st grader, though I will be adjusting a little in his roadmap. But I do like that I have a dashboard to view both of them easily and adjust where I need to easily. Customizing was simple and the program is user friendly. I look forward to seeing how this works with my students in the long run.
Check out what the rest of the TOS Review Crew has to say about LearnBop and LearnBop for Families by clicking the banner below. And visit LearnBop on social media or their website to see if the program is something that would work for your students.
Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearnBop
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LearnBop @LearnBop
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