.: Review: CapJaxMathFax

Getting your child to practice their math facts can be difficult, if not impossible. I know at our house, just the word math can invoke groans and complaints. So it's always nice to be introduced with a new way to drill those facts.

We were recently given the opportunity to try out a computer-based drill program called CapJaxMathFax.
CapJax claims to:

About CapJaxMathFax

From the website:

Uses a computer to provide drill and practice so that practice time is not limited by teacher availability.
Automatically generates exercises. Teachers don't prepare quizzes. They merely provide the parameters for them.
Builds exercises for any of the four math tables (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) or any combination of tables.
Guarantees student success by taking small steps through levels of
difficulty.
Can focus practice at a single level of difficulty or may review earlier levels.
Randomly generates problems without repetition.
Allows variable numbers of problems in an exercise.
Reduces learner stress by timing facts individually.
Provides immediate positive feedback for correct answers.
Provides extra reinforcement for fast, correct answers.
Displays an overall performance report at the conclusion of each exercise.
Prints reports for teacher review and for use as certificates of achievement.
Displays and prints item diagnostic details.
Uses a rating system that allows students to keep personal scores and
set goals.
Charts student rating progress graphically.
Maintains a database of student activity over time.

Reinforcement builds skills. Feedback rewards skill performance and maintains importance of program. CapJaxMathFax™ employs a patented rating system that uses reinforcement and feedback data to create a game-like feeling. Ratings allow learners to keep score and set personal achievement goals. Student ratings also constitute a measure telling teachers and parents precisely where a student is in his or her math fact development.

Start at first level.
Beginning at the easiest level generates initial success and establishes keyboard skills useful at higher levels. Math types (+, -, x, /) may be practiced in any order and in combination.

Play through each level.
Advancing through small levels of difficulty assures progress. Just a few minutes each day is all that’s needed.

Watch score climb.
Visible progress encourages students. CapJaxMathFax™ has a proprietary rating system that produces obvious feedback about even small gains. Kids will say, This is fun!

Master all facts.
CapJaxMathFax™ rating system assures structured practice through all sets of facts associated with each math type. Students achieve mastery at each level before advancing.

Immediate Positive Reinforcement.
Immediate knowledge of results is vital to efficient skill development. Most efforts have some element of success. CapJaxMathFax™ captures these with instant feedback about accuracy and response time.

Regular Positive Feedback.
Encouraging information about progress is critical. It underscores the importance of the effort and maintains learner involvement. CapJaxMathFax™ provides feedback about each session with a graphical bar chart, a running summary of session results, and a personalized session progress report.

Achievement Certificates.
Tangible evidence of math achievement is available in the form of individual certificates showing student’s performance and current status. Certificates may be displayed and printed at any time.

Detail Reports.
An Item Detail Report of each CapJaxMathFax™ performance session is available for teacher and parent diagnostic review.

CapJaxMathFax™ Works
Reinforcement builds skills. Feedback rewards skill performance and maintains importance of program. CapJaxMathFax™ employs a patented rating system that uses reinforcement and feedback data to create a game-like feeling. Ratings allow learners to keep score and set personal achievement goals. Student ratings also constitute a measure telling teachers and parents precisely where a student is in his or her math fact development.

Our Experience

Unfortunately, CapJaxMathFax was not a big hit at our house. I have a daughter who likes programs with all the bells and whistles. Characters, adventure, color, rewards. To quote the girl herself, "it's too boring." In an age where kids have access to things like iPads, the internet, iPod Touches, smart phones, and all that those things have to offer, CapJax is very basic.

The screen is very plain and it doesn't even open to full screen. With the amount of information on each screen, being able to open it to full size would've been helpful.

The only real motivation comes from trying to beat your previous score, which is awesome if have a child who is motivated that way. I don't. She wants to be reward with something more tangible. Now you can print out achievement certificates or order merit badges to give to your student when they complete certain levels. The badges are an additional cost and they are definitely not something that would interest or motivate my daughter at all.

However, despite her dislike of the program, it did improve her math facts. So, while it wasn't the program to motivate my daughter, I think it would be perfect for a student who is easily distracted by fancy webpages, story lines, and the like.

Once it's set-up, it's very easy for the student to use on their own without any direction. That frees up mom to work with someone else. And because the program is basic, it won't be much of a distraction to students working on other things. A wonderful plus for those schooling multiple children.

It is definitely a program that will get results. It's worth checking out the free trial to see if it will work with your student.