COMPUTER SOFTWARE REVIEW
MILLIE’S MATH HOUSE
Publisher: Edmark
Reviewers' Names: Heather Prior and Nguyet Tinh (Kindergarten
Teachers,
Target Population: Grades PreK – 2
PROGRAM
DESCRIPTION:
Millie’s Math House is an educational software program that introduces and reinforces fundamental math concepts that include numbers, counting, problem-solving, geometric shapes, size, patterns, and sequencing. The six activities are taught through the use of colorful characters, rhythmic jingles, and captivating animation. In the "Mouse House" section, students build houses using squares, triangles, circles and rectangles. The "Bing & Boing" activity lets students create, recognize and complete patterns. In "Number Machine" activity, students count from 0 to 10. "Build-A-Bug" lets students place wiggling, rolling parts on their favorite bug. In the "Little, Middle, and Big" activity, students learn about sizes using shoes, and in the "Cookie Factory," students decorate cookies using ten jellybeans. The program in the "Explore and Discover" and "Question and Answer" modes enhance students' logical and creative thinking skills. We feel that the "Adult Section" is a particularly noteworthy aspect of the program. It includes the "Adult Information Notebook," "Records Folder," and "Preferences."
CONTENT
CLARITY:
The program is appropriate for the target population of PreK – 2nd grade and fits the curriculum for these grades. In our view, there should be a few concepts included in the program such as time, graphing, and money. The program appears to be free of cultural and gender biases and uses cartoon-like characters that appeal to young children.
TECHNICAL
QUALITY:
The program should be pre-installed by the teacher before student usage, and most will find the installation process a breeze. Students can easily access and use the program by simply clicking on an icon. While exploring the program, we found it ran smoothly and contained no obvious bugs. The navigation system, which consists of a map and several icons, is easy to use and facilitates the children’s preferences to move from one activity to another. With its colorful graphics, rhythmic jingles, and lively animation, Millie’s Math House is aesthetically pleasing. The program’s graphics, sound, and animation are functional because they reinforce the learning of the math concepts.
USE
OF TECHNOLOGY:
The program makes good use of the computer to meet curricular goals for the PreK – 2nd grade math curriculum. The multimedia aspect combines both auditory and visual cues to help children learn math concepts. The program does not allow for student construction of text, and the teacher does not have the ability to modify text. However, the program contains a capacity for student tracking and management through the use of the "Records Folder," which is a record-keeping system that enables the teacher to track correct student responses. It also allows the teacher to monitor the length of time students spend in an activity room. We believe that the "Records Folder" is a beneficial assessment tool for the teacher.
ROLE
OF STUDENTS:
Students are both empowered and constrained by the program. They are empowered because they are given the option to select an activity and work on that activity at their own individual pace. The students are constrained because once they master an activity, they cannot alter the activity to make it more challenging. Initially, the program promotes whole-group interaction through lesson formats delivered via a large-screen projection system. The program is also suited to small group interaction at a learning center. The program helps students value their own thinking and learning by building a foundation for math concepts and thinking skills. It also enhances confidence, self-esteem, and a better understanding of the world around them. For example, children learn about different shoe sizes in "Little, Middle, and Big." They can apply this knowledge to "real-world" experiences when they go "shoe-shopping."
ROLE
OF THE TEACHER:
The teacher cannot modify, extend, or change the program. However, the teacher can use it as an external assessment tool by using the supplemental materials provided, which include reproducibles, activity extensions, and ideas for home-school connections. Student-teacher interactions are accomplished when the teacher utilizes the program on a one-to-one, teacher-to-student basis to reinforce skills.
CLASSROOM
USAGE:
The program allows small groups or pairs of students to interact by giving them opportunities to explore, question, discover, and master the skills at hand. As a first-time user, the teacher should explore the "Adult Section." This section provides learning goals, activity ideas to enrich the home and school connection, and developmental information. As teachers, we would implement the program as a new avenue in reinforcing math concepts that a student is having difficulty understanding.
CRITICAL
SUMMARY:
This program extends the math curriculum. The content is adequate for the skills and concepts taught, yet fails to cover some essential math skills that might have been considered. The aesthetical and technical quality of the program is adequate; there is room for improvement in the color quality and the animation. The program could be more "eye-pleasing" to catch the interest of young learners.
OVERALL
RATING: 7 out of 10
EXPLANATION
OF RATING:
There are satisfactory activities in Millie’s Math House that reinforce some of the basic math concepts that are required for students in PreK – 2nd grade. We would have given the program a higher rating if it had included specific early-childhood math concepts such as time, graphing, and money. Nonetheless, we would use this program in our own classrooms because the students would enjoy it as a basic learning tool.
Last revised:
January 15, 2003