REVIEW: Math Shed and Spelling Shed

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Kids can always use resources to practice math and spelling skills, so we decided to check out Math Shed and Spelling Shed for review.

WHAT IS IT?

Math Shed and Spelling Shed are great resources for supplementing your math and spelling curriculum with easy-to-play online games that help sharpen your child’s skills.  In Spelling Shed, you can even customize the experience by adding your own teacher-created spelling lists that students can play in the games, and you can even assign them with due dates attached.  By using the Hive feature in Spelling Shed, students can even play with friends!  An easy-to-understand teacher dashboard helps you see your child’s progress.

These math and spelling games are primarily for students in elementary school, but they can also be used for older students who need to improve their times tables or who just want a new way to practice their customized spelling lists. 

You can purchase an annual subscription to either Math Shed or Spelling Shed for 1-5 students for $24.95/year.  If you subscribe to both Math Shed and Spelling Shed, you get a 15% discount!

You can also sign up for a FREE 30-day trial to these games without a credit card to see if these games are a good fit for your child(ren).

OUR EXPERIENCE:

Holden is just starting 7th grade, and his math and spelling skills are mostly above grade level, so he’s on the older side for these programs.  But like many kids, he hasn’t quite mastered his times tables to the extent that I’d like, and he can always use to improve his speed in answering those types of questions.  In addition, since I can customize the spelling lists, he can also make use of the spelling games using his own spelling words, so we were happy to try this out.

 

The games in Spelling Shed are somewhat limited in that there are just 3 types of games to play there.  All of the spelling games offer 4 levels of difficulty:  easy, medium, hard, or extreme.  The basic game says the spelling word out loud and has you click on or type the correct letters to spell the word at the easy or medium level.  The hard level says the word and just has you type it out without the benefit of having letters to choose from.

There are 2 bonus spelling games called Bee Keeper and Missing Word. 

Bee Keeper is a hangman style game that has you guess letters in each word.  When you correctly guess a letter, it appears in the word where it belongs.  When you incorrectly guess a letter, you lose a bee.  You win by completing the word correctly before running out of bees.

Missing Word shows (and reads to you) a sentence with a missing word, and you must click the appropriate letters to spell the missing word or simply type it out within the allotted time.

In the Teacher Dashboard, you can customize your spelling lists if you choose.  Adding words is easy, as you just type them in, separating each word with a comma.  Then you can assign the list with a due date in order to create specific assignments.

In Math Shed, there are 4 regular games students can play plus 2 additional activities.  The main games have a number of options you choose from.

The Number Bonds game lets you make a selection and then choose from easy, medium, or hard levels.  Easy and medium levels give you number answers to choose from while the hard level has you enter the numbers directly.

 

The Times Tables game lets you make a selection and then choose from easy, medium, or hard levels.  The difference in levels works the same as outlined above.

 

The Powers of 10 game lets you make a selection and then choose from easy, medium, or hard levels.  The difference in levels works the same as outlined above.

 

The Add or Subtract game lets you make a selection and then choose from easy, medium, or hard levels.  The difference in levels works the same as outlined above.

 

The last section that says “More…” gives you 2 additional games.  Those are Year 4 MTC and Negative Numbers.

 

The Year 4 MTC gives you some instructions and then proceeds into the game.  It appears to test full mastery of times tables set against a 6-second timer.  A quick response is required to beat this game!  This is where I aim for Holden to demonstrate mastery.  He could definitely use to improve his response time.  He hasn’t yet achieved enough speed to beat this game, but I think with time and practice, he’ll be able to take some pride in being able to master this one!

 

The Negative Numbers game introduces students to working with negative numbers in basic equations and works just like the other games.

Teachers receive a separate login that allows you to view student progress and customize spelling lists.  You can even assign what you want your students to work on!  The initial setup of your students is simple and very intuitive, and you can assign custom passwords they can remember.

All in all, these programs provide a wonderful option for students to practice their skills in a colorful online setting that provides a simple game-style format.  The only downside is that the games aren’t all that creative, and students might quickly tire of the repetitive style.  But for students who like to beat the clock or compete with friends, this could be a real bonus to supplement your spelling and math learning. 

I mentioned that Holden is on the older side for these games, but he can still benefit from what they have to offer.  Although the gaming style itself isn’t up to his expectations for what he thinks of as a true gaming experience, he didn’t balk at using the games to practice for about 15 minutes each per day.  The extra practice will do him good in the long run, and really, that’s all a homeschool parent can ask for!

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