Raise your hand if you’re interested in getting your hands on some free, top-quality, multimedia math apps for your kids in order to prevent the dreaded “Summer Slide”.
That’s pretty much what I thought… Friends, let me introduce you to UMIGO (Short for “You Make it Go”).
Funded in part by a US Department of Education’s “Ready to Learn” grant, the content on UMIGO is aligned with the Common Core Standards for mathematics for the first and second grades.
It’s also TOTALLY FREE and designed to appeal to children from a range of diverse backgrounds.
In an effort to be maximally entertaining, the site uses the building blocks of math to engage early elementary age kids in narrative-driven “appisodes” made up of stories, music videos and games.
With vibrant online adventures plus free downloadable offline at-home activities, UMIGO encourages parents and children to explore together for a fun, shared learning experience.
How It All Works
The key premise of the site is that kids learn from all sorts of things, which stems from research showing that, indeed, kids get more out of learning from several kinds of media. Therefore, the site is engineered for kids to interact with math in multiple exciting ways.
Here’s how it went down when I let my first grader try UMIGO for the first time…
First, The Show Teaches the Idea
There are lots and lots of different units to chose from on the site. Each covers a specific math concept and each start with an “appisode”.
What’s an appisode? Basically it’s a video (a pretty funny one) with interactive elements mixed in.
Because the site wants all kids to be successful in their interactions with math, the interactive parts of the video meant to practice the concepts are fairly simple (your child will have an opportunity to challenge herself during the multi-level game section).
C liked this part because it involved two of his favorite things (which he rarely gets) – TV and video games – yipee!
Second, The Music Video Reinforces the Idea
This next part was especially fun.
At the end of each appisode, a high-energy and silly music video is unlocked to reinforce the concept the kids have just learned. C was doing a unit on measurement so he got a singing ruler (she was very Diva).
Of course, he was cracking up when lo and behold…
…his 5 year old sister came wandering in from the next room to check out what all the hubbub was about.
Of course, once she saw the site, she wanted in on the fun and made herself comfortable. Which highlights another great feature of Umigo.com.
Although the site is directed at 1st and 2nd graders, it’s also appropriate for kids a little younger and a little older.
Third, The Game Allows Kids to Apply the Idea
This is the area where I think the website really shines.
Once the appisode and music video have been viewed, the game is unlocked. It’s designed in a way that really meets your child where he is with the new math concept and encourages him to build his skills from there.
First, there are multiple game levels so your child can easily find a level to start at that’s neither too easy or too hard. I love this because it means both S and C can have success with the game.
Second, the tasks come with increasing levels of support to help lead kids to the correct answer so, again, they don’t get frustrated and want to quit.
As much as I’m loving this new-found site for my own kids, I also have to mention how really wonderful their mission is to bring this content to ALL KIDS, especially those that may be underserved in math education.
Parents and kids from all over can connect with UMIGO online, but also at local children’s museums, libraries, after school programs and other locations. To find a location in your area, click here: Community Outreach Partner List.
Plus, the site is taken it a step further by also providing completely free off-screen, at-home activities designed for you as a parent or caregiver to extend the learning by doing them with your children.
These activities provide you with the vocabulary and action tips on how to use every day experiences as opportunities to help children with their math learning.
Next time your kids are worn out from playing in the sun all day and need a little inside break, I hope you’ll take a few minutes and test out all UMIGO has to offer with them!
*This post was sponsored by Umigo but all opinions are 100% my own.
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