My Take
I absolutely love First in Math. I haven’t come across another website or app that is as engaging as First in Math. Students love logging on and trying to earn as many stars as possible. I like how it is aligned to the Common Core standards. Students are learning their basic math facts interactively and building on their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Each student starts out on the same level and can work at their own pace through the program. It has video lessons and previews to grab the attention of the students. Having access to First in Math at home is a huge plus for me as a teacher, but parents as well. When a student reaches a certain number of math problems, First in Math will generate an additional Family User Name. Most importantly, First in Math allows teachers more time to teach the curriculum and reduces time having to actually teach those basic math facts.
How I Use It
First in Math is used in my classroom for daily small group rotations. I also put it on the weekly homework assignments for students to work on at home. Parents are also able to assist. It is only used in Grades 4-5 in my school, however students in any grade level can benefit from it. (K-8) Students are given a username and password that can accessed on desktops, Chromebooks and iPads. First in Math is a great opportunity for students to practice basic math facts. There are ample amounts of games that keep the students engaged. Students earn “stickers” as points that allows them to see how other students are doing, not only in their class, but school and regionally. The main goal for First in Math is to develop fact fluency for all levels of academics.