The Trigger Memory Co. gave my family a free downloadable version of their Times Tales program in exchange for this unbiased review. As usual, no cookies or chocolate exchanged hands to sway my opinion.
In all honesty, we are not the best family to be reviewing this program. Our daughter doesn’t quite grasp multiplication well enough at this point to really benefit from the program, and my son has long ago mastered his facts. However, the program does jump into division near the end of the second set of videos, so my fourth grader can use it for the “division tales.”
First, what is it?
Times Tales is a DVD or downloadable series of files that teaches your children fun little stories about interesting characters that represent numbers. It covers the upper numbers of the multiplication tables.
Without the child really knowing that she is learning, she is memorizing her upper multiplication facts. If you’ve battled math, spelling, anything in the past, you know how much you love it when your children don’t even realize they are learning!
Is it effective?
My daughter hasn’t begun multiplication yet, but get this: during the video she took a quiz, and she got most of the answers correct. Of course, she doesn’t actually know what multiplication is, but I can see that when she starts studying it, she will have an advantage with these cutesie (and sometimes lame, admit my kids) stories in her head.
My 10-year-old son remembers all the stories as well…although he already knew all the facts that they were teaching.
What did the kids think?
My first grader (in the target range) claims it’s boring, but she jumped into it willingly and I saw a lot of giggles, so I’m a little confused by her dichotomous answer. She did, however, painlessly learn a lot of facts she can put to use when we begin our multiplication lessons. So her mama says it is a success.
My fourth grader (also in the target range) says it was pretty cool when you add in the games and worksheets. He didn’t learn anything, because the multiplication facts were already old friends, but any time you can skip your own math and hang out with your sisters in front of a screen is a good time. I can see how this would have been a huge boon to him if he was missing some facts, and the division facts are a great booster for his lessons.
This is an affordable way to help kids master those elusive facts.
Additional thoughts for my fellow roadschoolers:
Times Tales is available as a digital download or as a disc. Naturally, the digital download weighs absolutely nothing, so you don’t have to consider it in your tow weight. It does however, take eons to download. I had to wait until we found a really good connection (too few and far between in the world-on-wheels) and download in the middle of the night when the rest of the internet access munchers were asleep. It worked that way. And then, of course, my computer died (RIP Mac…back to the PC world), so I have to download it all over again on our old Behemoth. Since I’m not a techie, I’m not too thrilled about that whole thing.
I do like the digital download option, however, because you don’t have to figure out a shipping location–that’s always a pain in the kiester.
Once you’ve got the download complete (or if you buy the DVD), there is no further internet access required. Now that makes any full-timer smile!
There are no books to find space for, but you will want to do a little printing for the worksheets, games, and cubes. It’s no biggie, but it is printing. If you keep your printer stored under a mountain, that’s also a pain in the kiester. But again…no shelf space or weight limits to consider! And no masses of flash cards–gag!
Go here to read reviews from homeschoolers whose kids are a better fit for this program–they have some great things to say!
