Dreambox Users: How much does your student play?

[spaceman]

We've just started a free trial, but my K'er is obsessed...

 

He isn't generally allowed to play with the computer, so it could very well be just that.

 

Nonetheless, I'm curious: how often do other users play?

[sbgrace]

We go in spurts. Sometimes they use Dreambox an (inordinate really) amount of time and then other times I've gotten notices in my email that "we missed you!" because we've sort of forgotten. That's partly because I am uncomfortable with a lot of computer time though.

 

If I mention it my kids would happily play most every day I think. We did a three month trial that expires in less than two weeks. They love it as much now as they did in the beginning.

 

I think it's a great program.

[Missouri Okie]

I didn't know about the three month trial. I signed up under a 2-week trial. We're on day 8 of that. My 7yo plays half an hour most days. The first few days, it was a whole hour. He didn't ask to play over the weekend.

[threeturn]

When we first got it my daughter loved it and played every day. She was early K then. She zoomed through the K curriculum and then by the end of K was in the midst of the first grade curriculum and seemed to hit a wall. Then it was like pulling teeth to get her to play. Our subscription didn't expire until last month -- well into her 1st grade year, but she never recovered the desire to play. In fact when I sat down with her, it seemed like she was getting the same activities (place value and 100s chart) over and over. I guess that was because she was struggling with those topics. BUT they never even cracked open the addition portion of the 1st grade curriculum with her -- something I know she could have had some success with. Of course I was doing PV work with her in math to help her past the hump, but I think she just got bored with it.

 

YMMV,

Pam

[Samiam]

:lurk5:

 

We just started our trial three days ago. DS5 has asked to play all three days....and I actually kick him off after a while. He actually played this a.m., during the time where the boys sit around watching cartoons as I cook breakfast, he's choice.

 

We'll see how it goes, hoping they send me some discount coupon at the end of the trial, and then I'll probably sign up.

[sbgrace]

I wanted to mention about the wall.

 

My boys are in 2nd grade. The program did some K and 1st assessment and then started them on select topics in 1st grade. I think the program intentionally starts one level behind. Anyway, one child is in 2nd and plugging along well.

 

The math able kid really zoomed through much of it and now is in the 3rd grade material. This is really beyond him in some ways--ie he only knows how to count by 2's, 5's, and 10's so when he is working on x sets of x (say 7 sets of 9 for example) he has to add it all up sort of missing the point in my mind. He can do it but not the way intended. I feel he's a bit beyond his math level and it's not something that's going to click. He's also hitting another area in 3rd that's a problem though I think it could click. But so far it hasn't. In other words, he's probably at a wall right now too. He still wants to play but it's making me hesitate as I look at subscriptions. Right now I think I'll go monthly and check to see if they might be able to reset him to 2nd grade if the 3rd is just too much right now. I believe the website mentions doing that if a child gets through the program with time remaining on the subscription. The stuff is great so I wouldn't mind him going through it again and he passed with assessment a lot of the material anyway so never saw much of it.

 

This is the thing...I'm sorry I'm so wordy...the program really does adjust for kids. I've seen that with my less math able child. But when you get to points where they really have mastered everything under them and the new is just too much I'm not sure what happens. It's kind of hard for me to tell also because my son can "do the work" they are asking but it's really beyond him. If it were just him I'd give it time before subscribing. But it's doing worlds of good for the other child so I don't want to stop the program.

Edited December 7, 2011 by sbgrace

[thegirlwhopaintedtrees]

DD4 plays about twice a week, but when we had the trial she played everyday. I wanted to make sure it was worth paying for and the only way to know was to let her be on the computer. I am not normally comfortable with so much computer time. It is great, but can be frustrating when she get to something that really challenges her. When that happens, I try to replicate the game or skill with hands on manipulatives and that usually helps her the next time she gets to play.

[Amber in AUS]

Initially my kids were captivated by this program and played every other day for about 8 weeks. Once they hit a ceiling in their understanding they were not keen to learn from the program and it went by the wayside.

[istrans]

We have used it initially for about 3 months. Paid subscription. Plus side-some concepts really stick because of the repeating. Made my math program so much easier at the beginning because of the Dreambox. Minus-"Hitting the wall" everybody talks about-I personally believe there are some bugs in the program which makes it impossible for child to pass some exercises. They tried to work with me trying to resolve ongoing issues, but at the end didn't. Bottom line-I'd love the program to wok for us, it has huge potential, but at the time we did it (over the summer) it was too buggy and didn't adjust exercises to help the child to pass.

 

PS DD played several hours at the beginning, after hitting the wall-wouldn't play. I can understand why :)

Edited December 13, 2011 by istrans

[NotSoObvious]

Lots. Several times a week. It's part of their computer time, along with Type to Learn.

Sometimes they ask to do it, sometimes I just tell them to do it. I like that it reinforces concepts and is another approach to math.