Homeschool Math Review GPALOVEMATH by GPA LEARN

We received a complimentary subscription to GPALOVEMATH, courtesy of Great Parents Academy a.k.a. GPA LEARN.  In return, I committed to write my thorough and honest review. 

 

Vlog

In this video: a screen recording of GPALOVEMATH’s inside the parent and student accounts. Watch the video or just continue reading below 😉

 

What We Received

GPA LEARN offered any grade level from Kindergarten to 5th grade. We selected 4th grade. Our subscription is good for an entire year of learning. Thank you GPA LEARN for the generous subscription period!

 

What to Expect

GPALOVEMATH’s a web-based program, that teaches math to children through animated graphics and characters.   It is a full fledged social elearning environment, that includes three main components: learn, engage and motivate.

1. Learn

This is the actual curriculum. It’s divided into 3 main tracks that can progress independent of one another:

• Operations and Algebraic Thinking
• Number and Operations in Base Ten & Number and Operations—Fractions
• Measurement and Data & Geometry

The screenshot captures GPA LEARN’s recommended sequence for the course branched into three tracks. Each square represents a lesson delivered in a video/slideshow format. Super Hero is free to choose any unlocked lesson on any track. Yet he can only progress so much within a track before he must tend to the others as well.  GPA LEARN’s recommendation appears by default, but one may also view the course by topics.  If so, the child may access locked lessons.  Prerequisites for the particular lesson are thus indicated and accessible.

 

Each video lesson or concept, comprises 3 parts: Instruction, practice and quiz.

Instruction:  A character or “Learning Coach” explains the material on each video animation.  For the 4th grade program, such character is the Great Owl. Text and Great Owl’s robotic voice are consistent throughout the length of the video.

 

Practice:  The Learning Coach appears during the entire practice session to assist the child.

 

Quiz: Quizzes have 15 questions just like those in the practice section.  Completing the quizzes earns the child points toward rewards.

2. Engage

The second component of this program is the Engage section. It’s essentially a social platform where the child  may interact with friends and family.  The parent must approve all relationships, before anyone may begin communicating with the child. Sharing, messages, private messages, and poking. It’s all here! Designed to provide support and encouragement, and a healthy dose of competition.  Such competition, may work rather well for classrooms.  And perhaps in a homeschool with many children too.

 

3. Motivate

After so many lessons, the child will receive nice small surprises and gifts.  The reward system is managed by the parent, with potential input by the child. You may select a system-generated set of rewards, spaced out at optimal intervals. Or you can create your own set from scratch. Either way, you may tweak at any time.

 

Parent Dashboard

The parent’s dashboard allows you to view the child’s progress. You can even test drive what the child has done in previous lessons. You can control the relationships and communications. And of course, you can control the rewards the child will receive. The system also emails you as soon as the child completes a lesson.

 

 

How We Used GPALOVEMATH

Super Hero’s been using GPALOVEMATH 3 to 4 times per week for the last month and half.  He has enjoyed it quite well. He gave this program a 5 star rating in all criteria, except in “fun.” He took off 1 star because, he said, the instruction was “waaay, waaaaay too long.” He always wants to move right into the quizzes, skipping the instruction and practice. He feels he already knows the material.  That may be true so far, so he may jump right in, if he wants to.  The way I see it,  the quizzes are his practice. If he doesn’t pass, he gets to take it again. And besides, he says –”there are no lives in quizzes, but there are only 3 in practices.”  Well then, why not?

I must add that I don’t think the instruction is way too long. It’s of reasonable length. The appropriate to convey what’s necessary. Funny how perceptions can differ so much! The one thing with which I’ve had a real hard time is the robotic voice. I find myself less willing to be near Super Hero while Great Owl speaks.  I’m glad he doesn’t seem to mind that as much.

The motivation section sure is a perky feature.  Yet we treat the rewards like nice gifts and surprises, not as rewards per se.   My purpose is to instill the love of learning in my child. I aim to teach him to seek knowledge for the joy of it, for the fun of it, for the pleasure of it. Not because there’s a prize attached to it.  The “reward” ought to be the knowledge itself.  For this reason, we don’t adhere to rewards in our homeschool.  Not in that sense anyway. But philosophical points of view aside, this is a fun feature.  Hey, what’s not to like about receiving reminders to do fun things?  Camp in the living room tonight, bake cookies together, breakfast in bed. Pure fun to celebrate our learning! Just gotta love that 😉

 

Our Opinion About

It seems GPA LEARN thought of all details to develop a comprehensive online learning experience:

• An intuitive organization of contents
• Video format –watch and listen
• Possibility to create your own supportive and encouraging community
• Fun ideas to celebrate the learning (a.k.a. GPA LEARN’s rewards system)
• Flexible program, yet it offers structure and guidance as well

To me, the flexibility is GPALOVEMATH’s chief strengths. I appreciate accessing topics as needed within a grade, or even another grade altogether.  Anything from K to 5th grade.

I thoroughly, downright, totally would prefer a human voice. The robotic monotone makes it hard to keep listening after a short while.  If GPA LEARN could upgrade to a human voice, it would be much better.

 

If You’re Interested

If you’d like to give this program a try, GPA LEARN’s currently having a special. One year subscription for $129 per child. Regular annual price is $149. Use coupon code GPAINTRO15 to get the discount.

Monthly subscriptions are available for $12.99 per child. They also offer a 30 day free trial.  Each student account receives access to all levels from K to 5th grade.

 

Want to Learn More?

If you’d like to learn more, please read the reviews from my fellow Crew members. Or visit GPA LEARN‘s website or social media accounts: