DreamBox Learning®» Parent Tips

Helping Parents Understand How Children Learn Number

Sherry B — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:35:34 +0000

Recently a parent of a kindergartener sent us an email expressing some concern that her child (Julie) was working with two digit numbers but hadn't received any place value instruction. The parent was helping her daughter "answer" the lessons and she was concerned that DreamBox might have an instructional sequencing problem. This gave us a wonderful opportunity to put the parent at ease, help her understand how young children learn number concepts, and coach her on letting her daughter do the lessons herself. Young children are like sponges, and it's fascinating to watch as they soak up the world. They are in a "making sense time" of learning, meaning that first the learning is "mimicing", then they develop relational understandings, and finally they own the learning because they can apply it in new situations. However research shows us that this is not a linear model of learning. Learning is fragile in young children; they go in and out of this pathway before they get to consistent application and own the knowledge and skills. This is especially true when it comes to developing mathematical understanding. DreamBox is an adaptive learning environment designed to support a child's fragile learning path to knowledge and application. We begin the young child with developing number concepts and number sense. The big ideas for this step in Julie's development are:

Counting by telling how many things are in a set.
Numbers are related to each other through a wide variety of relationships.
Numbers have different values when connected to real objects and measure. For example, 5 elephants is a big amount, but five crayons is a small amount though the same number; 12 minutes is not much more than 10 minutes, but it is a lot more than 30 seconds.

Along with these big ideas, we want to help Julie develop number sense which means having a good intuition about number and their relationships. Number Sense develops gradually as a result of exploring numbers, and visualizing them in a variety of contexts. Early counting starts with mimicing of the sequence. Then a young child learns to count understanding a one to one relationship, and develops ideas about quantities so they see the relationships of more, less and the same. This allows Julie to see numbers as "groups of" (as in counting by 2's, 5's and 10's) and her counting starts to become more fluent and efficient. This leads the child into what some refer to as the "pre-place-value relations with 10." They count easily to 10, can group and count with ten, but they are not using place value and are really not ready for the "tens and ones" conversation other than to mimic what they hear. In this stage, we still want them to see larger numbers, to count them using one to one correspondence, to identify where they fit on a number line, and to count them using groupings like 5s and 10s (like the mathrack example you mentioned); but for the child, the understanding is not at a readiness for place value. So when you see DreamBox using larger numbers, this is what is happening. For us as adults who do have place value knowledge, it seems like place value is being taught and that place value would make it easier to answer the questions but this is not the case. With this in mind let me go to how DreamBox sets up the learning path for Julie and how that learning path can get interrupted. With each click of the mouse DreamBox is subtly adapting Julie's learning path based on her answer and her strategy to get to that answer. DreamBox knows that a young child's learning is fragile so there is a very deliberate back and forth going on. We don't want to push Julie beyond the point of her understanding but rather challenge the edges of her understanding so she moves along at her own pace. If a parent coaches the child so she gets a right answer or uses a more efficient strategy, DreamBox responds not knowing that the child didn't really understand what was presented to her. We adjusted Julie's learning path to a more appropriate level for her. Julie's mom to going to encourage her to spend time on DreamBox, acknowledge her efforts, and talk to her about her "adventure" and what she learned today.

Free Trial: Understanding the ‘Fine Print’

David G — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:01:32 +0000

I recently received this e-mail from a person who is not yet a customer. She writes:

I'm searching around your site for the "terms of use" on the free trial - specifically, information about how long it is, can you opt out before the free trial ends, the billing process, etc. Can you clarify this for me?

This is a very important question in my opinion, because I'm sure we all know someone (or have been that someone) who got stuck in an endless loop of unwanted communications, unacceptable charges, and general frustration, all because they clicked a button on the internet marked "free". Well, we here at DreamBox want to be part of the solution, and the best way to solve this problem is with some good ol' fashioned honesty!

So here it is, the "fine print"

The DreamBox Learning free trial (14 days for parents, 30 days for teachers), starts from the day you register, and is absolutely risk-free, no obligations, no run-arounds, no kidding. We only take the information we need to set up your account, establish your student's curriculum placement, and keep you in the loop about your child's progress. Yes, you will receive e-mails, but only from us, and you even get to choose what kinds of e-mail you receive (more on that later). DreamBox Learning does NOT share your information with other companies, especially not spammers and solicitors - we don't like communicating with them any more than you do! While it is possible to cancel your free trial before it ends, keep in mind that there is no obligation to buy, and we do not bill you at the end of your trial period. Actually, we can't bill you unless you subscribe; we won't ask for payment or billing information unless you're buying a subscription. So don't worry if you "forget" to cancel at the end of your trial, because we've already done it for you.

At the end of your free trial

At the conclusion of your trial, your student's account expires and their progress is saved for at least six months, just in case you wish to subscribe at a later date. You will still have access to your Dashboard, even if your first trial has expired, and can use this access to start additional trials for other children under the same account.

When you’re ready to purchase

If you do decide to purchase a home subscription, signing up is quick and easy. Just go to the "Account/Settings" tab in your Dashboard and select "My Subscription". Click on the "Buy a subscription" link, and follow the instructions. Any children that have started free trials, will already be featured on the sign-up page, and all you need to do is select the children you're subscribing, fill out your payment or billing information, and submit. Keep in mind that DreamBox uses the VeriSign service to protect your security and prevent malware infection, and DreamBox will not permanently store your payment or billing information after purchase (although we do save the last 4 digits for those who use a credit card, so you can tell which card was charged for later reference). Teachers: consult your DreamBox sales representative for pricing, and to determine the best payment option for you and your school. The easiest way to do this is by visiting http://www.dreambox.com/teachers/order_now and request a quote.

Subscription Auto-Renewal

DreamBox auto-renews all home subscriptions at the end of the subscription period. If you're concerned that you'll forget, then perish the thought - we'll send you an e-mail notification at least 5 days before this happens. Nobody likes surprises when it comes to their credit card! Classroom accounts expire on a set date, so you’ll want to speak with your sales representative to determine your best course of action for renewal.

Control the emails you receive

Finally, remember what I said about controlling the types of e-mail you receive from us? You can do this any time, even if you've never purchased a subscription. Go to the "Account/Settings" tab in the Parent Dashboard and select "Notification Preferences". From this page, you can either disable your Notifications entirely, or filter the specific types of e-mails you want to receive. I definitely recommend the second option, since you'll definitely want the notifications relating to your student's progress and your account's auto-renewal. For Teachers, notifications work differently due to student reporting. If you'd like to opt out of communications, email support@dreambox.com and we'll take care of it for you. Do you have a question about DreamBox? Well, what are you waiting for? Use the “Send Feedback” button in the lower right hand corner of the DreamBox Learning game window, and let us know what’s going on. We can also be contacted about this, or about any other DreamBox questions you may have, at support@dreambox.com. We’re always more than happy to help you!

Curriculum Progression and The Carnival

David G — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 21:48:52 +0000

I recently received this letter from a parent:

I am concerned that the amount of time my sons spend in the "Carnival" part of DreamBox may be affecting the speed of their progress. Do my children advance in placement when they spend their time at the Carnival and in My House? Or should I primarily limit them to the Adventure Park?

This is a good question, and to answer it, I'd first like to explain how progression works in DreamBox. Curriculum progression happens primarily in the "Adventure Park" section, where colorful characters present challenging lessons, helpful hints, and exuberant encouragement. As students complete the lessons in this area, DreamBox Learning’s GuideRight™ technology assesses their input, and offers new lessons based on the results. And, let's face it, if these lessons aren't completed, then the student isn't going to progress to the next grade. Because of this, you may very well ask, "if this is where the whole curriculum takes place, then why do the Carnival and My House areas exist?" Well, these areas are not without their own merits! The My House section may not seem very academic on first glance. However, it does serve as the main hub of DreamBox Learning's most vital tool: engagement. DreamBox works because kids have fun playing it, and part of that fun is collecting character cards, certificates, and other prizes. The My House area gives them the ability to customize their avatar, check out the cool rewards they've earned in the Adventure Park, and print certificates of their achievements. Also available in the My House section is a Toolbox, giving students unrestricted access to DreamBox Learning's signature Virtual Manipulatives - gadgets that help teach the strategies and techniques that students need to not only learn math, but to excel at it. The Carnival games are designed, first and foremost, to teach problem solving skills in math. They also give children a standard area they can return to, so they can very clearly see and understand how they are getting better at math. Adventure Park Lessons come and go, but Carnival games such as Dunk Tank and Frog Race can be revisited - and kids will be able to tell, based on past performances in the same game, how well they're doing now. This is a great way to reinforce their math skills, and build their confidence. As for the Carnival's contribution to curriculum progression, you can also see this for yourself. Simply log into your Parent Dashboard, find your child's progress page, and click "Get Details". You will notice that one of the Curriculum Categories on this page is called "Problem Solving". The only way to earn progress on this bar, is by playing games in the Carnival. You can tell which games affect which grade levels, by scrolling a little further down your student's Progress Report Detail page, to the Curriculum Completion section. Locate the "Problem Solving" section of each grade, and click on the green plus sign to the left of it. You can then see which game(s) are needed to fill that grade's Problem Solving bar. As with all things in life, moderation is the key. Students should definitely spend the lion's share of their time in the Adventure Park, and use the My House and Carnival sections as ways of "cooling off" between new lessons. My suggestion, would be to make sure your children spend at least 20 minutes in the Adventure Park, for every 10 minutes they spend in the Carnival and My House areas combined. You've got to take the "serious learning" with the "serious fun"! Do you have a question about DreamBox? Well, what are you waiting for? The DreamBox Learning Customer Support team is always just a click away; just use the “Send Feedback” button in the lower right hand corner of the DreamBox Learning game window, and let us know what’s going on. We can also be contacted about this, or about any other DreamBox questions you may have, at support@dreambox.com. We’re always more than happy to help you!

DreamBox Has Solutions For Your Back To School Math Problems

David G — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:34:12 +0000

A customer writes:

After taking a few months off for the summer, our daughter has started using DreamBox again. However, she is finding that she's backslid a bit, and that the problems are a little too difficult for her. How can we help her get back in the groove?

As you may already know, DreamBox Learning's GuideRight™ technology does a great job of giving students the most appropriate lessons, based on their current knowledge, and what they've yet to learn. A student's instructional level is measured, on a click-by-click basis, for this very reason. But what happens when a student stops "clicking" for a few months, and comes back to questions they no longer remember the answers to? Not a problem! There are a couple avenues of assistance already built into your DreamBox Learning subscription to help. For starters, the aforementioned GuideRight™ technology can tell when a student is having a difficult time in the curriculum, and will provide review lessons based on the problem areas of comprehension. This is one of those circumstances where it's perfectly okay for a student to struggle with questions, so encourage them to push ahead. They'll get some answers wrong, and that's good, because that is exactly the information DreamBox needs to get your child back on track! However, in extreme cases where the built-in adjustment process isn't enough, our DreamBox Learning Customer Support team is able to manually adjust placement. This is where we move your child to an earlier point in the curriculum and have them do some or all of the lessons over again. In some cases, this is a great way to reinforce previous learning, and can increase a child's confidence in their math skills. Our Customer Support Team can review your child's transcripts carefully and, with the help of our knowledgeable Academic Team, recommend a placement solution that's right for your child. However, manual placement is not always the best solution. This is why any and all manual placement recommendations will be discussed with you, fully and to your satisfaction, before being implemented. The best part about both of these techniques, is that they are virtually invisible to the student. All other game elements, including story line progress, token counts and in-game collectibles, remain exactly the same. The child is simply given more appropriate questions to answer. In all cases, the DreamBox Learning Customer Support team is always just a click away; just use the "Send Feedback" button in the lower right hand corner of the DreamBox Learning game window, and let us know what's going on. We can also be contacted about this, or about any other DreamBox questions you may have, at support@dreambox.com. We're always more than happy to help you!

Great Article for Teachers to Share With Parents!

Mickelle — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:58:17 +0000

A colleague forwarded the following article to me that I think is fabulous for teachers and parents. (Thank you to our fabulous developer Aja!) As a teacher, I would have loved forwarding this article when setting the stage for math as it’s taught today. Maybe it will be useful to some of you: BBC News Magazine’s Why Parents Can’t do Maths Today. Please let me know how you use it, and I’ll continue to look for other articles to bring to your attention.

The Versatility of a Classic Card Game: 4th in Our Math Teaching Tips Series

Laura — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:50:51 +0000

Many teachers use playing cards as a math manipulative in the classroom. They can be used to work on concepts such as number recognition, multi-digit addition, multiplication and more! We’ve taken one classic card game, War, and came up with multiple versions that can be played to practice new skills or reinforce old ones.

Variations of the Game of ‘War’

You can rename the game of ‘War’ to make it more school-friendly, such as Number Battles, Number Tangle, or Digit Duel. In most of the versions, take out the face cards. Deal the entire deck among all of the players. Players keep cards stacked face-down in front of them during play. Decide before the game begins whether the greatest or least amount wins. Play continues until one person has all of the cards. Traditional Game of Number Battles For the youngest students, the traditional game works great. Each player flips over a card. The player with the greatest number wins everyone’s cards. For an added visual manipulative, use a ruler as a number line that kids can refer to during play. Two Card Number Battle Students can work on addition, subtraction, or multiplication facts. Each player flips over two cards and finds the sum, difference or product. Students can use the friendly number groupings on the cards to help them with strategies such as; adding on, counting back or using repeated addition. If students find the same number, they flip over another two cards and the ‘winner’ gets all of the cards from that round. Modification: Remove specific numbers to work on certain facts. For example, remove the 6-9s to work on facts up to 5. Double Digit Number Battle This version not only provides students with practice doing 2-digit addition but also allows them to consider place value in deciding a strategy for creating the greatest or least possible sum. Players each flip over four cards. They arrange the cards to make two 2-digit numbers, and then find the sum. Students that understand place value will know that the two greatest cards will need to be in the tens place to make the greatest sum. And if they are trying to make the least amount, they will want the cards with the least value in the tens place. Battle of the Friendly Numbers For this version put the face cards back in the deck and declare that each one is worth ten. Students can work on the friendly number strategy by arranging the cards in groups that make ten. Players flip over five cards and add all five numbers to get the sum. For example, if you flipped over a Jack, 4, 2, 6, and Queen model physically moving the face cards next to each other. Next, move the 4 and 6 together and say, “Four and six make ten.” Now, count aloud as you point to each card, “Ten, twenty, thirty (pointing to 4 and 6 at the same time), plus two more. I have 32!”

I Love my Apple Timer!

Mickelle — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:43:47 +0000

After a 4-day business trip to Denver for the ISTE Conference, I returned home with one of the little red apple timers we shared with many teachers. My original intent was that it’s a better gift for my 4 ½ year old than the junk I can buy in the airport! However, this timer has proven to be super nifty. For example, my daughter tends to hurry the bath when something fun follows it. However, one evening she was really dirty and I just wanted a little break. So we negotiated and I set the timer for 30 minutes. I set the timer on the bathroom counter, then several times I told her how many minutes she had left. This all seems so simple, but consider the math. When I talked to her, I always noted that we started with 30 minutes and she had 20 (or 10 or 5) minutes left (counting backwards). I would also show her the timer, and we’d talk about the numerals that weren’t actually on the timer, but which were noted with a little lines (like a number line). Mostly I love that this is math in the real world! What about you? Tell me how you’d use this little red timer with your own kids, and we’ll send one to you! (We have a few left over from ISTE.)

Disney Math Games Make Long Lines Fun

Tracy — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:43:11 +0000

School is officially out: cue the much-anticipated family vacation. Inevitably, there will be at least a couple of DreamBox fans that pack up and take the kids to Disneyland or Disney World. And while Mickey and Minnie and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride make it all worth it, there is really no way to avoid the hot sun and the long lines.

Long line at Disneyland

If sweltering heat and interminable waits sound like they'll take the fun out of your vacation, plan ahead with fun Disney math games that will make endless lines seem like nothing.

Disney math games for a hassle-free (and educational) summer vacation

I spy shoes. Keep your eyes on the ground, and check out the footwear of everyone around you. Have your kids count tennis shoes versus flip flops, or white shoes versus black. How long does it take until someone sees green shoes? A great lesson in counting, categorizing, and fashion. Hidden Mickey roundup. "Hidden Mickies" are the designs, patterns and forms Disney "imagineers" (that's an engineer with an imagination) incorporate into the Disney parks. The three circles that make up Mickey's head (two small circles for ears, one larger circle for his head) are everywhere: in the wall paper, from a bird's eye view of the golf course, in the table settings, in the rides. Have your kids scope out these patterns, both big and small. How many Mickies can your kids see from the line? How many over the course of your vacation?

Spot this Hidden Mickey at the Haunted Mansion

Disney charades. This is a great game to play when you're wrangling more than one youngster in line. Have each child take turns acting out the Disney character you whisper in their ear while the other child times them for 30 seconds. Pump up the math learning by using an analog watch, as opposed to a digital timer. Count the flags. Disney World is one of the most international tourist attractions in the United States. While in line, count how many foreign flags you and your kids can see: either on T-shirts, stitched onto backpacks, or on key chains. Disney "cast members" (all the workers in the Disney parks are called cast members) wear name tags saying where they come from. Can your kids find cast members from all 50 states? How many international cast members have they met? And as a reminder: wear hats and apply sunscreen often and in high dosages, to make waiting in the direct sun much safer!

Did Daddy Text Me?

Mickelle — Thu, 20 May 2010 15:35:39 +0000

My husband and I have been traveling quite a bit lately. We used to leave our 4-year old daughter, Elle, one note for each morning. Lately, we’ve been sending text messages instead. It wasn’t long before we needed to get creative about the messages we sent, and we started looking for ways to incorporate math into these messages. Here are some recent examples:

Dear Elle, Please make sure there are 4 diapers in your brother’s diaper bag. Daddy sometimes forgets to refill it. Thank you for being my big helper. Love, Mommy
Princess, Don’t let Daddy forget to give your brother his medicine. Make sure Mommy only gives him 3 ml. Can you help her? Miss you, Daddy
Dear munchkin, Last night I had dinner with 9 people. Do you think we could fit 9 people around our table at home? See you tonight, Mommy
Hey Super Sport, Let’s both do 20 jumping jacks and 5 pushups today. I miss you. Daddy
Good Morning Elle, Do you think it’s better to drink 2 cups or 10 cups of milk a day? I can’t wait to hear what you think. Love, Mommy

It’s hard to be away from the family, and rewarding when we find ways to remind our children that we are always thinking about them. And it’s kinda cool when a 4-year old asks, “Did Daddy text me?”

Home for the Holidays? Count Those Coins!

Mickelle — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:12:59 +0000

Every year my husband rolls his annual collection of coins and donates the money to charity. Last night he had our 4-year old daughter, Elle, helping him for the first time. He knows (because he’s learned from me!) that rolling coins offers many learning opportunities for children of all ages. With schools closed for winter break, now is a great time to deal with all that spare change. Here’s how your children can help:

Preschool: When sorting coins, start with pennies and dimes. Quarters and nickels can be confusing because they look alike. But when your children a're ready, comparing quarters and nickels will help them learn to distinguish between 5 and 25 cents. Preschoolers can help make piles of ten if you give them a mat with a place for each coin. I prefer a mat with two rows of 5 each.
Kindergarten: Sort coins and count piles of ten. Later combine the piles of ten to make groups of 40 (nickels and quarters) and groups of 50 (pennies and dimes).
1st grade and older: Sort coins, count piles of 40 and 50. Watch to see if your child uses a strategy such as stacking one pile of ten and making other stacks have the same height. Another of my favorite strategies is laying the coins in rows of ten and making additional rows.

This takes longer than Coinstar, but the time spent engaged with your kids is worth much more than the 9% you save by doing it yourself!