GPA LEARN - A Review

Why do we always seem to stress over math as homeschoolers?  Since we began our current homeschooling journey we have tried several different approaches to math.  One thing that I have been eager to see happen is our nine-year-old to gain some independence in her academics and not require so much one on one attention with me throughout the day.  Initially, it was a non-issue, but now that the younger ones are getting a little older I would like to be more available for one-on-one time with them as well.  It can be a difficult thing to juggle.   I knew that once our nine-year-old strengthened her math and reading skills this would become more and more of a reality.  Using GPALOVEMATH by GPA LEARN has greatly fostered this attribute in our homeschool, and it has been an amazing experience for all of us in many ways.

All three of our children - ages 4, 5, and 9 - just love GPALOVEMATH.  Our nine-year-old has become super independent in her math studies, and it is such a confidence booster.  Not only is she gaining the ability to problem solve and learn on her own, but I am gaining some freedom in my routine.  All three of the children just love the teaching style implemented in this online program, and we have found a way for all three of them to be independent in their math studies in one way or another.  The nine-year-old works 100% independently, with an occasional question for me, and is learning the importance of taking the time to be taught and learn before diving right in.  It can be tempting for her to skip the instruction and practice phases and dive right into the test.  However, she is finding that sometimes we need to take the time to allow ourselves to be taught in order to learn.  When she has worked on lessons within the program I receive an email update informing me of her progress.  This alerts me of her successes as well as provides me with information as to when she may be struggling.

My five-year-old surprised me by showing readiness for first grade math.  This is something I would not has as quickly discovered had we not explored using GPALOVEMATH with the youngest two.  He works equally well on the laptop and the tablet requiring occasional clarification or assistance from me.  He is not only learning math skills, but he is also gaining computer skills and learning how to better follow directions.  I hear, "Can I do math?", on a very regular basis from both the five-year-old and the four-year-old.  The nine-year-old will even request extra math time now and again.  That really says a lot in my book.

The four-year-old using GPALOVEMATH on our nook.

We've gotten a little more creative with our four-year-old using the program.  Life is easier when she can do things on a touchscreen tablet.  We have a nook, nabi, and Kindle Fire.  Currently supported formats are Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac Computers, Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab 4, Goodle Chrome, Internet Explorer 11, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari 6 and 7.  Although none of our devices are currently supported by GPALEARN we have managed to make the nook work for us.  We access the website via the web browser on the nook and use the website that way.  The sound doesn't always work with it not being a supported format.  The little kids rely on the program reading the lessons to them more than the nine-year-old.  When it won't work right I just read them the lesson, and they do the actual work on their own with occasional guidance from me.  All of my children would absolutely love it if there were an app created that worked on all of our devices, but we manage just fine with the format as it currently functions.

Another fun aspect of GPALOVEMATH is the different instructors.  Since each of my children is working at a different grade level they each have a different instructor.  Everything is animated.  The third grade level instructor is a very friendly robot, first grade is taught by a fun penguin, and kindergarten is led by a cool detective.  Each lesson is divided into three parts; instruction, practice, and quiz.  The student is free to choose where to begin and can go back anytime if necessary.  They earn points for each lesson that can be banked and redeemed for online gift certificates to cool places like Target and Toys R Us.  In addition to the gift certificates the parents can customize rewards to be given randomly for gifts of personal choice.  We have things like extra tablet time, puzzle time with mom, an extra bedtime story, and so on.  This is a lot of fun for everyone.

GPA LEARN has managed to free up some of my personal time, fostered a sense of independence in my children in regard to their zest for learning, and it has plunged my children into the deep end of mathematics all the while making the learning process fun and engaging.  You can learn more about GPA LEARN and GPALOVEMATH via Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest as well as reading reviews by other homeschool families by clicking the button below.