Informative Parent FAQ sheet for the DreamBox Math Program
Parent FAQ’s
What is DreamBox and how can it help my child?
DreamBox Learning Math provides individualized learning for kindergarten through 8th grade math in an engaging game-like framework. DreamBox automatically adapts to each student, which optimizes his or her learning experience. The product’s underlying curriculum develops computational fluency, conceptual understanding, and problem-solving ability, which allow students to enrich and deepen their mathematical thinking. Throughout the DreamBox Learning adventure, a student is given the flexibility to move between grades as appropriate. The program does not show grade labels for the lesson games, and does not require, for example, that all kindergarten lesson games are completed before 1st grade lesson games can begin. This allows a student to explore the math that is most interesting and developmentally appropriate for him or her.
How often should my child be using DreamBox?
We recommend that a student spends at least 90 minutes per week using DreamBox Learning. It’s also important to note how the student is using their time – students should be spending the majority of their time in the Adventure Park completing lessons. We recommend that students spend at least 20 minutes in the Adventure Park, for every 10 minutes they spend in other areas, such as the Carnival or My House sections.
We have tried to use my child’s DreamBox subscription at home but it won’t work. What can we do?
Your computer needs to have high-speed internet and Adobe Flash 10 installed in order for DreamBox to work properly. This is a free download and only takes a few minutes. Once you set up your home account using information from your Parent Invitation, you will need to log in using your e-mail address and password. If you run into other issues, such as registering multiple students or an e-mail address that the system won’t accept, you should contact Client Care at [email protected] or 877-451-7845 (weekdays, 7am to 5pm, Pacific Time).
I’ve heard that I shouldn’t help my child if they struggle while using DreamBox. Why? What should I do if he or she struggles?
Parents naturally want to help a child who is struggling to learn something new, especially as lessons get harder. But because DreamBox is constantly assessing your child’s answers to understand what they’ve mastered and what they have yet to learn, parental help can sometimes actually make the lessons too hard! Here’s why: the GuideRight™ technology ensures that many aspects of the experience immediately adapt based upon how a student responds to each problem. The questions should be just challenging enough that they occasional get one incorrect as they learn. Part of that process of recalibrating for each student involves occasionally presenting a series of questions that might be a little too difficult. If they do well, they move on to something that might rely upon the understanding they just demonstrated. If they don’t do so well, DreamBox then provides the comprehensive set of lessons they likely need to develop that understanding.
If your child turns to you for assistance with a DreamBox Learning problem, try some of these approaches:
-Encourage your child to make his or her best guess.
-Remind them it’s OK to make some mistakes. We learn a lot from the types of mistakes they make and will respond accordingly. (Really!)
-Answer a question with a question. “What do you think?”
-Click the “Help” button in the upper right corner of the game window. Click the “Help” button again. The second click provides more detailed instructions. Also, keep in mind that a student is not penalized for clicking “Help”, so they should be encouraged to click it as many times as they need to.
-Ask your child to explain the game to you. Sometimes talking it through like this will give them the answer.
- If all that doesn’t work, perhaps it’s time for a snack or a break.
Why does DreamBox show that my child is working below grade level when he/she is working on grade level in school this year?
When a student first starts using DreamBox, they are placed one grade level below their listed in-school grade level. This is done to calibrate DreamBox Learning’s adaptive technology to the student’s current instructional level, as well as to catch any gaps in their previous learning. Also, because of the highly adaptive nature of DreamBox, students can, and often do, work in multiple grade levels at the same time. This is because mastery of a mathematical concept is considered to be the top priority. The "grade level" of these concepts is determined, by and large, by the Common Core standards that the DreamBox curriculum aligns itself with. However, they are by no means meant to represent a static order in which lessons are offered. For example, a student who understands place value, but has difficulty counting items in groups, may be assigned earlier work that nurtures the ability to count in groups, while simultaneously being given grade-level work that builds upon their place value knowledge. In all cases, please be assured that DreamBox Learning will adjust to your child’s instructional level, and in fact, the more they play, the better and more accurate DreamBox Learning’s assessments will be. Encourage your child to complete every lesson, even if they think it’s a little boring, and you’ll soon see more difficult and challenging work being presented.
Sometimes when my child is building a number, he/she is asked to do it again in “fewer moves” or “less clicks”. Why?
DreamBox strives to teach, through practice and progression, many different strategies for doing complex math without using outside tools (paper, calculators, their fingers, etc). For this reason, kids are continually encouraged to seek more efficient ways of building numbers or solving problems. For example, while using a math rack (the thing that looks somewhat like an abacus), your kindergarten child may be asked to build 20 in the fewest clicks. While sliding each of the twenty beads will work, your child is being encouraged to slide over groups of five or groups of ten at a time, which helps build an understanding of beginning place value and math facts.
What are the different areas on the K-2 “map” and what does my child do there?
The K-2 “Adventure Park” is the area where kids are engaging with math concept lessons that are individualized and based on grade level standards. The “Carnival” area activities are designed to teach problem solving skills in math, and they give children a standard area they can return to, meaning they can very clearly see and understand how they are getting better at math. Adventure Park Lessons come and go, but Carnival games such as Dunk Tank and Frog Race can be revisited - and kids will be able to tell, based on past performances in the same game, how well they're doing now. This is a great way to reinforce their math skills. There is a section in the Carnival called the “Arcade”. Students can practice their mouse skills for free here, or they can spend the Tokens they earn during lessons to play fun games. The My House area gives kids the ability to change their avatar, check out the rewards they've earned in the Adventure Park, and print certificates of their achievements.
If DreamBox is assigned as homework, is it optional?
If your child cannot get on the computer the night that it is assigned, try to get him or her on the next evening or over the weekend. It is just as important as paper/pencil homework! Some families find that it works best to incorporate DreamBox or other computer use into daily routines. For example, your child may be using DreamBox on the family computer while you are making dinner or helping siblings with their homework. If you do not have high-speed internet access at home, please notify your child’s teacher so that alternative homework can be sent home on those evenings.
It seems like my child is being offered the same lesson(s) over and over again – how do I fix this?
This often happens when a child exits out of too many lessons prematurely. If lessons are exited without being completed, then DreamBox cannot analyze the student’s input correctly and therefore cannot make the necessary adjustments. This is actually by design – we certainly don’t want DreamBox Learning to make assumptions about a child’s instructional level, every time they have to eat dinner or go to bed! Watch your child play, and make sure they aren’t using the “Exit” button to quit lessons. Sometimes, a child will do this because they don’t like to give wrong answers, or dislike guessing. In these cases, encourage your child to complete every lesson, even if they have to guess or get some answers wrong, and you’ll soon see more lessons being presented.
Parent FAQ’s
What is DreamBox and how can it help my child?
DreamBox Learning Math provides individualized learning for kindergarten through 8th grade math in an engaging game-like framework. DreamBox automatically adapts to each student, which optimizes his or her learning experience. The product’s underlying curriculum develops computational fluency, conceptual understanding, and problem-solving ability, which allow students to enrich and deepen their mathematical thinking. Throughout the DreamBox Learning adventure, a student is given the flexibility to move between grades as appropriate. The program does not show grade labels for the lesson games, and does not require, for example, that all kindergarten lesson games are completed before 1st grade lesson games can begin. This allows a student to explore the math that is most interesting and developmentally appropriate for him or her.
How often should my child be using DreamBox?
We recommend that a student spends at least 90 minutes per week using DreamBox Learning. It’s also important to note how the student is using their time – students should be spending the majority of their time in the Adventure Park completing lessons. We recommend that students spend at least 20 minutes in the Adventure Park, for every 10 minutes they spend in other areas, such as the Carnival or My House sections.
We have tried to use my child’s DreamBox subscription at home but it won’t work. What can we do?
Your computer needs to have high-speed internet and Adobe Flash 10 installed in order for DreamBox to work properly. This is a free download and only takes a few minutes. Once you set up your home account using information from your Parent Invitation, you will need to log in using your e-mail address and password. If you run into other issues, such as registering multiple students or an e-mail address that the system won’t accept, you should contact Client Care at [email protected] or 877-451-7845 (weekdays, 7am to 5pm, Pacific Time).
I’ve heard that I shouldn’t help my child if they struggle while using DreamBox. Why? What should I do if he or she struggles?
Parents naturally want to help a child who is struggling to learn something new, especially as lessons get harder. But because DreamBox is constantly assessing your child’s answers to understand what they’ve mastered and what they have yet to learn, parental help can sometimes actually make the lessons too hard! Here’s why: the GuideRight™ technology ensures that many aspects of the experience immediately adapt based upon how a student responds to each problem. The questions should be just challenging enough that they occasional get one incorrect as they learn. Part of that process of recalibrating for each student involves occasionally presenting a series of questions that might be a little too difficult. If they do well, they move on to something that might rely upon the understanding they just demonstrated. If they don’t do so well, DreamBox then provides the comprehensive set of lessons they likely need to develop that understanding.
If your child turns to you for assistance with a DreamBox Learning problem, try some of these approaches:
-Encourage your child to make his or her best guess.
-Remind them it’s OK to make some mistakes. We learn a lot from the types of mistakes they make and will respond accordingly. (Really!)
-Answer a question with a question. “What do you think?”
-Click the “Help” button in the upper right corner of the game window. Click the “Help” button again. The second click provides more detailed instructions. Also, keep in mind that a student is not penalized for clicking “Help”, so they should be encouraged to click it as many times as they need to.
-Ask your child to explain the game to you. Sometimes talking it through like this will give them the answer.
- If all that doesn’t work, perhaps it’s time for a snack or a break.
Why does DreamBox show that my child is working below grade level when he/she is working on grade level in school this year?
When a student first starts using DreamBox, they are placed one grade level below their listed in-school grade level. This is done to calibrate DreamBox Learning’s adaptive technology to the student’s current instructional level, as well as to catch any gaps in their previous learning. Also, because of the highly adaptive nature of DreamBox, students can, and often do, work in multiple grade levels at the same time. This is because mastery of a mathematical concept is considered to be the top priority. The "grade level" of these concepts is determined, by and large, by the Common Core standards that the DreamBox curriculum aligns itself with. However, they are by no means meant to represent a static order in which lessons are offered. For example, a student who understands place value, but has difficulty counting items in groups, may be assigned earlier work that nurtures the ability to count in groups, while simultaneously being given grade-level work that builds upon their place value knowledge. In all cases, please be assured that DreamBox Learning will adjust to your child’s instructional level, and in fact, the more they play, the better and more accurate DreamBox Learning’s assessments will be. Encourage your child to complete every lesson, even if they think it’s a little boring, and you’ll soon see more difficult and challenging work being presented.
Sometimes when my child is building a number, he/she is asked to do it again in “fewer moves” or “less clicks”. Why?
DreamBox strives to teach, through practice and progression, many different strategies for doing complex math without using outside tools (paper, calculators, their fingers, etc). For this reason, kids are continually encouraged to seek more efficient ways of building numbers or solving problems. For example, while using a math rack (the thing that looks somewhat like an abacus), your kindergarten child may be asked to build 20 in the fewest clicks. While sliding each of the twenty beads will work, your child is being encouraged to slide over groups of five or groups of ten at a time, which helps build an understanding of beginning place value and math facts.
What are the different areas on the K-2 “map” and what does my child do there?
The K-2 “Adventure Park” is the area where kids are engaging with math concept lessons that are individualized and based on grade level standards. The “Carnival” area activities are designed to teach problem solving skills in math, and they give children a standard area they can return to, meaning they can very clearly see and understand how they are getting better at math. Adventure Park Lessons come and go, but Carnival games such as Dunk Tank and Frog Race can be revisited - and kids will be able to tell, based on past performances in the same game, how well they're doing now. This is a great way to reinforce their math skills. There is a section in the Carnival called the “Arcade”. Students can practice their mouse skills for free here, or they can spend the Tokens they earn during lessons to play fun games. The My House area gives kids the ability to change their avatar, check out the rewards they've earned in the Adventure Park, and print certificates of their achievements.
If DreamBox is assigned as homework, is it optional?
If your child cannot get on the computer the night that it is assigned, try to get him or her on the next evening or over the weekend. It is just as important as paper/pencil homework! Some families find that it works best to incorporate DreamBox or other computer use into daily routines. For example, your child may be using DreamBox on the family computer while you are making dinner or helping siblings with their homework. If you do not have high-speed internet access at home, please notify your child’s teacher so that alternative homework can be sent home on those evenings.
It seems like my child is being offered the same lesson(s) over and over again – how do I fix this?
This often happens when a child exits out of too many lessons prematurely. If lessons are exited without being completed, then DreamBox cannot analyze the student’s input correctly and therefore cannot make the necessary adjustments. This is actually by design – we certainly don’t want DreamBox Learning to make assumptions about a child’s instructional level, every time they have to eat dinner or go to bed! Watch your child play, and make sure they aren’t using the “Exit” button to quit lessons. Sometimes, a child will do this because they don’t like to give wrong answers, or dislike guessing. In these cases, encourage your child to complete every lesson, even if they have to guess or get some answers wrong, and you’ll soon see more lessons being presented.