Disclaimer: I received FREE access to Math Shed & Spelling Shed through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
Math Shed and Spelling Shed are online learning platforms for students in 1st through 5th grade. They are skill drill programs that allow students to increase their skill level while playing fun and engaging online games. One subscription provides access to both platforms and the Teacher Hub for up to 5 students for a one year period of time.
About Math Shed
Math Shed is a fun and engaging way for students to work on their math skill proficiency. With several options of games and skill levels, this program can be flexible enough for students to grow with it as their math proficiency increases.
When you first log on, you will find this screen where you can choose from one of these games:
- Number Bonds- numbers that bond to 10, 20 and 100 for both addition and subtraction problems
- Times Tables- choose from multiplication or division and choose which fact families to work on
- Powers of 10- multiplication, division or a combo- you have 1 minute to answer as many as possible in a flashcard like game
- Add & Subtract- options of facts with 10’s, 20’s 100’s and 2, 3, 4 digits
Each of these games has multiple options for play including skill levels of Easy, Medium, and Hard. For example, the Times Tables game offers options to choose from including single numbers, mixed numbers, related, related + decimals, and more. This allows for customization for each student based on their current mathematical learning level.
About Spelling Shed
Spelling Shed offers students fun games that help to increase their spelling proficiency. The games are fun and engaging allowing students to learn while playing, which is my busy boy’s favorite way to learn.
Spelling Shed gives you several options of stages or levels to begin:
Once you have chosen the correct level for your student, then you have the option to choose from these games:
- Play – this option gives you 10 spelling words in a timed game. You first see and hear the word, then you click on the correct letters to spell the word
- Create Hive- this option gives you the ability to play online with other students in a safe environment
Bonus Games-
- BeeKeeper- this game gives you a mystery word to figure out by clicking letters from the alphabet provided. If you choose an incorrect letter, you lose a bee. You have to guess the word before losing all the bees in a fun, hangman-like game.
- Missing Words- in this game you are provided a sentence and you have to choose the correct spelling of the missing word
With each game, you have the option of Easy, Medium, Hard, or Extreme- giving students the ability to play at their very specific level for maximum enjoyment.
HoneyPots
The currency of the games in both Math Shed and Spelling Shed are honeypots. These honeypots can be exchanged for fun extras for the avatars your students build for themselves.
Our Experience
My 2nd-grade son is very proficient in math and is currently working at a 3rd-grade level, yet he struggles greatly with spelling. I decided early on that we would focus on Spelling Shed the most with some Math Shed games thrown in here and there.
To begin, my son was able to create an avatar for himself- he loved this option and spent a very long time making sure it looked exactly like he wanted.
Once he has his avatar just right, we jumped into Spelling Shed. I can say, without a doubt, his very favorite game was BeeKeeper. He loved the hangman-like game and asked to play it over and over.
He enjoyed the other games in Spelling Shed and I can say that I have seen an increase in his confidence level while doing our spelling lessons. He struggles with letter sounds and having the audio option on many of the games was just what he needed to get over the hump.
He also very much enjoyed Math Shed, as I was sure he would. He loves anything that is timed and the challenge for him is to beat the clock. I feel that Math Shed offers so many options that it really is a great fit for students at multiple learning levels.
I could even see older students or students with learning challenges using Math Shed to conquer those needed math proficiency skills. I have played a few of the games myself and I feel that regular use could keep those math skills sharp.
The best part for my son, though, was the challenge of earning honeypots. He loved the idea that he could trade them in for fun things to add to his avatar. The options they offer are numerous:
Overall, I would say this program is a great supplement to any math or spelling curriculum. It offers multiple options for multiple grades and skill levels. The fun and engaging games allow students to learn while playing, which makes my job as a parent-teacher so much easier. I can easily see us using these programs for years to come.
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