Schoolhouse Review: Math Rider Intelligent Horse Riding Arithmetic Game

I received Math Rider , "The Intelligent Math Facts Game”, for review.

   MathRider runs on just about any of the newer computers that are available. It uses the Adobe AIR runtime (which is a free download from Adobe), so it can be used on either a Windows or a Mac. It requires 80mb of hard disck space and a monitor with graphics card that supports at least a 1024X768 pixels resolution.

The MathRider computer game is $47, which includes free software updates for life. It comes as an instant download to your computer.

I really like that you can create a new separate player for each member of your family, up to eight players. MathRider presents addition, subtraction, multiplication and division questions, using number 1 through 12.  You or your child chooses the difficulty level, and the game automatically keeps track of what skills have been learned. 

The game is designed for children 6 to 12 years of age. I used it with my 11-year-old 5th grader who, overall has a good handle on math concepts, but often struggles with certain numbers in the multiplication table and hates division.

She was excited that the game allowed her to ride a horse, even if it was only in a virtual world.

The game has an underlying fairy-tale-like story line that keeps the student’s mind focused on completing levels until they master success.  However, the whole time, they are really performing mathematical calculations.

She went through various lands, an enchanted forest, and rescued a princess. To get to the end, she completed numerous math problems.  I allowed her to start out by choosing the level she wanted to work on, hoping that she would gain the confidence needed to tackle more challenging quests.



The speed of the game and the problems that were presented were based on her own skill level and accomplishments. It is not just a game, it is an intelligent game. I like that the game somehow calculates what your child has mastered and only presents problems for them that they still need practice on solving.  It reveals an easy-to-read chart that shows you and your child what they have mastered and how they have improved.  You won’t waste your time going over and over problems they already know.

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