Dreambox: Computer-Use You Can Admit to Your Doctor (A Spectrum of Reviews)

I took my eldest son for his eight-year-old checkup today. On the standard questionnaire about whether he lives with someone who smokes, or if we have guns in the house, there was a question about screen-time. I had to check a box if my child spends more than an hour per day watching television, playing video games, or engaging in activities on the computer. I'm an honest gal, so I checked the box, even though I knew the underlying question.

As expected, the doctor asked me about my admission. I explained that yes, he spends quite a lot of time on his computer, but for mathematics enrichment.

The doctor beamed, "Well, of course, any educational content is absolutely fine."

We then got into a discussion about how plenty of homework assignments need the resources on the internet, and how differentiated education is important.

Every parent thinks his or her child is brilliant, but let me tell you about my second-grader: he loves math. He thinks math is fun, and yet I know he is bored during regular class instruction time. I therefore jumped at the chance to review Dreambox via the Parent Bloggers Network. I want to capture and preserve his love for math, build on it, and prevent him from lagging behind later because he isn't stimulated enough now. Combining his love for computer games with mathematical instruction is a perfect marriage of interests.

Not surprisingly, my son was even more excited than I was to try out this online adventure game in which mathematics unlocks levels, more games, and rewards. He selected the "pirate" theme, but other themes include "pets," "dinosaurs," and "pixies."

He spent several hours on Dreambox the first day, and eagerly returned the next. I wasn't surprised by his enthusiasm, nor was I surprised that he quickly placed out of some of the more basic-looking lessons. According to the website, "GuideRight™ technology makes real-time dynamic adjustments in the difficulty or scope of a problem or lesson, the number and type of hints given, lesson pacing and sequence, and much more."

I had an opportunity to see this curriculum differentiation firsthand because my younger son decided to give Dreambox a whirl as well. I assumed it would be too difficult for him. He is a preschooler who will enter Kindergarten this coming fall as one of the "younger ones." Nonetheless, I let him pick his character, visual password, and theme ("pets!") To my amazement, the adventure provided him games that he enjoys and can accomplish. He played at his more introductory level while his second-grade brother played at his own more advanced level. Both solved levels and both were rewarded for their efforts. Most importantly, both have an opportunity to continue playing and learning, since the game will continue to adjust based on their current skills.

Dreambox includes a "Parent Dashboard," but since these reports are emailed straight to me, I don't have to worry about remembering to "check in" with Dreambox. Quite the contrary, Dreambox checks in with me. I receive updates whenever either of my sons completes a level or earns a reward.

I also receive a reminder if they haven't been on Dreambox for awhile. Yes, it is true: they've had a period of time when they were doing other things. But Dreambox has emailed me to let me know how many days it has been since my sons have played. While some may not appreciate this nagging, I enjoy the reminder. On the flip side, if I get a bunch of emails from Dreambox in quick succession letting me know of all the levels they've cleared, I know they've spent quite a lot of time on the site.

Beside by computer is a stack of the printable awards. My kids have plowed through several levels and are happy to show me the certificates of achievement for such things as "Winning the Treasure Race" or "Finding Smelly's Treasure."

My initial interest in Dreambox was for my older son, but I've got to admit that I was surprised and pleased when my younger son started enthusiastically calling out answers to simple addition problems, demonstrating that he recognizes the concept.

I'll happily let both of them have computer time to continue to nurture an enjoyment of mathematics. They see it as fun, I see it as educational. (And the doctor agrees with me.)

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