Software Evaluation

Title:  Math Munchers Deluxe

Publisher:  MECC

Date Published: September 1995

Platform:  Macintosh and Windows 95

Content Area:  Math Skills

Range of Grade Levels:  3-6

Content Description:  The grade levels were third thru sixth grade and the content area was the same throughout the grade levels, the difficulty level was altered depending on the grade.  The math game contained Whole Numbers, which entailed, expressions, comparing, primes, multiples, and factors.  The game also contained Fractions with numerators, denominators, mixed numbers, whole numbers, expressions, equivalents, comparing, proper, and improper.  One could also choose decimals with equivalents, and comparing.  Geometry was another choice that dealt with shapes and angles.  If someone wanted a little bit of everything they could choose the Challenge section that had everything mixed together in the game.  The purpose of this software is to let kids practice their math skills.  The player can choose whether to play “toggle-free” or play against toggles.  If a student plays against a toggle then the students are racing to answer the problems before the toggle answers first.  The player therefore has to think fast and quick in order to beat the toggle.   The player must hurry to complete the puzzle before the toggle does.  No points are received if the toggle eats the numbers.   The player tries to complete the equation puzzle to gather points in order to advance to the next level.  There are five levels in the game that the player is trying to complete.  If the player gets a certain amount of points and completes every puzzle in all five levels then the player gets to be put in the hall of fame.  This game is played individually in order to increase your math skills and think more quickly.

Instructional Type:

Drill and Practice
Problem Solving
Tutorial
Game
Tool
Simulation

Strengths:  The game gives variations of problems.  It provides different levels of difficulty throughout the game.  The player can choose whether to be timed by playing against a toggle or just practice his or her math facts without any pressure.  The game has great graphics and is very colorful.

Weaknesses:  The students must know a variety of higher-level math in order to play this game.  A player cannot pick one math strategy, such as, addition and subtraction, to work on and practice.

As a teacher, I would use this program as extra practice for students to learn and understand his or her math facts.  After teaching the lesson, I would allow the students time to play the game and practice the problems in the puzzles toggle-free until the students are comfortable with the new math material.  Once the students feel comfortable with the concept I would let them play against the toggles in order for them to master the concept.  I would not, however, use this program as a lesson to introduce a specific math strategy.

Rating:  8; I believe this is a very useful program and can teach students a lot about math and help them review what they have learned in the classroom.  This is a great program to use in order to keep the students comfortable with knowing how to answer a variety of math problems at one time.

User Comments:  “Stephanie, a 5th grader, fell in love with Math Munchers Deluxe in less than five minutes flat.  She liked experimenting with the different levels and agreed that the 6th grade level was a challenge.  She liked the hip audio and hot animation, while she thought that adding her name to the Munchers Hall of Fame screen was ‘really awesome’.”
Parents and teachers like this program because their kids would practice their math as they play.  Unlike some programs where the educational components are optional, solving math problems is the objective of this program.
A teacher reviewer wrote, “Most of the kids in my class groaned when we stopped playing Math Munchers.”
“Math Munchers is an educational program that our kid reviewers loved to use.  It makes learning basic math terms and concepts fun.”
One child comments, “It doesn’t teach kids to learn new things, only to memorize so that they’ll be really fast at clicking—click, click, click, like that…And the (troggles) teach you to be fast because they eat you if you’re not fast enough.  I think they should eat you if you’re not thinking.”
 
 
 
 
 
 

Links:
  The three reviews that I researched explained how the game is played, the math problem solving skills the kids must know in order to play the game, the content of the game and the many levels the game had.  The reviews talked about how helpful this program is to kids and how kids really enjoy math after playing this game.  The reviews explain how this program provides learning opportunities for the children and also allows the children to challenge his or herself when they feel comfortable.  The reviews respond to Math Munchers Deluxe as an educational program that makes learning basic math terms and concepts fun.

Super Kids Educational Software Review:  www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/math1/mmuncher/merge.shtml

Review of Math Munchers Deluxe: by:  Marlene Kliman
www.terc.edu/mathequity/gw/html/MathMunchersReview.html

Your Kids Will Eat Up Math Munchers: by:  Tina Velgos
www.worldvillage.com/wv/school/html/reviews/mathmun.htm
 

After reading the reviews, I would be very interested in trying this software.  I would be interested in seeing how it challenges kids at different levels and to see the kids faces when they succeed at the challenge he or she faced.  Overall, the reviews are mostly positive remarks about the software.  Parents and teachers both believe this program is a great way to get kids interested in math and allows math to be fun.  The fast pace seems to add excitement for the kids and gets them motivated to beat the toggles.
Marlene Kliman did not feel that this program gave any support to learning new material.  She also did not find this game to have a wide variety of math skills for each grade level.  Marlene did not agree with the fast pace and rewards of the game.  She felt that the game did not give the player enough feedback and did not agree with having no second chances in the game.
After reading Marlene Kliman’s review, I then went back over the other two reviews and I found a lot of contradicting remarks.  The other two reviews thought there was enough variety and the fast pace of the game was a good thing for the kids to learn.  Many teachers and parents really enjoy this game and truly believe that this program enhances the learning of their children.  After playing the game for myself, I must agree with the other two reviews.  I found this game exhilarating and a lot of fun.  It makes you think quickly and wisely.  I would definitely use this program as practice for my students.