![]() There are many options to choose from when playing this platform of games. Frankly, the teacher could address student misconceptions more effectively, and probably in less time.Parents also get access to a dashboard that shows their child’s or children’s progress, and they can get family generated reports as well as providing access to the games at home for homework as well as for free play time when children want to just enjoy the game without being graded. Most students would be unlikely to watch a 10-minute whiteboard video on multiplying fractions and would instead get back to the games. On paper, this sounds great, but Khan Academy tends to teach procedures more than concepts. When students get math problems wrong, at the end of the game Sumdog shows students these questions and provides a Khan Academy video to help students gain this skill. Sumdog has made steps in trying to become more than "skill and drill," most notably by including integration with Khan Academy. Likewise, having students in "writing" mode where they only write words and sentences won't provide much useful information for teachers and isn't the best use of student time. While there are lots of words, there's no guarantee that the words teachers need will be available. The usefulness of this mode is hindered by the fact that teachers can only use words that are already in Sumdog. Students type the word and receive feedback on their spelling accuracy. Spelling assessments state the word to be spelled, use it in a sentence, and then state the word again. Reading questions have students choose the correct word for a sentence, while writing is limited to single sentences and words. The other subject areas offer less valuable practice, and thus more limited information on what a student knows. Sumdog is a good option for skill practice for math, where the multiple-choice format works the best. Through it all, students earn coins that they can spend on items for their avatar's room. ![]() One kid might be multiplying fractions and playing against a friend who is multiplying integers. Students don't need to be working on the same skill to compete, just playing the same game. Some students will enjoy competing with their classmates in games, while others may find this intimidating. The 25 games all follow the same format: Students answer some questions, play the game for a short amount of time, answer some more questions, play the game again, etc. They can also choose different subjects and topics for their games if the teacher has allowed it. When kids log in, their dashboard shows any assessments or challenges that the teacher has for them. Students will enjoy the games, which have good, though not great, graphics and sound. If students feel the problems are too easy at first, tell them to stick with it as kids answer questions correctly, the difficulty increases until students reach their "just right" level. ![]() When kids first play, Sumdog figures out what level of questions are appropriate for each student. When students log in, they can view assignments that the teacher has given them and can access games. Sumdog is an online adaptive response program for K-8 math, K-6 spelling, and K-5 grammar (available on the web, iOS, and Android). The writing games are an exception, where activities involve writing sentences using certain words, practicing touch-typing, or writing a word that ends or begins with a particular letter or letters. Students will be more excited to practice this way than with a worksheet, but at its core, Sumdog is essentially a skill-and-drill exercise. Be sure students have paper and a pencil nearby so that they can figure out some of the more complicated math problems. Sumdog has introduced a button that reads the problem aloud, which will help remove barriers for some students. Teachers can also assign specific Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and questions to students, making it handy for assessing kids after teaching the class a particular skill. Teachers can use Sumdog to reinforce skills and concepts in four subject areas: math, reading, writing, and spelling. Teachers can have students play independently during academic choice time, allowing Sumdog to choose the questions that students get. ![]()
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