Explain this
Number Gym
How the publisher describes it:
“Specialist maths software from foundation stage to GCSE”
Review by Peter Hall
In brief:
This is an outstanding product, once you’ve started to use it in the classroom it is hard to stop!
“A piece of software you will be returning to frequently and will grow to love”
This is an outstanding product, once you’ve started to use it in the classroom it is hard to stop! Essentially it is a suite of interactive programs covering a wide range of mathematics topics. Suited to upper primary students as well as KS3 students - and I’m sure lower ability KS4 students will enjoy it and be enthused to learn more.
Under broad headings - counting and understanding number, number facts, calculating, shape, measures and handling data - there are many individual programs - covering a vast range of topics - from percentages to perimeter. Each program is carefully designed to make good use of the screen. The interaction is obvious and teachers will be able to make good use of it with little training and very little worry. There is ample scope for making the programs offer a greater or lesser degree of challenge.
For example - my lower ability year 8 group enjoyed the program for area and perimeter. Initially we played just with rectangles, and the software allowed me to control the two dimensions of the rectangle and ask the students to find the area and perimeter. To help understand what we were doing the software finds the area by counting squares - each changes colour and is numbered, and for the perimeter the edge of the rectangle is coloured in, as if someone was walking around the shape. We went onto the extension of irregular shapes with confidence and ease. This is a piece of software you will be returning to frequently and will grow to love
Peter Hall • AST Mathematics, Imberhorne School, East Grinstead
The Number Gym V2.2
CD-Rom
Website
Price: £59 (single user)
