City Creek Press; a TOS Crew Review

Times Alive, Times Tables The Fun Way, from City Creek Press is a creative way to learn multipliation facts with visual stories set to music available in two formats, download ($44.95) or CD ($48.95).

We reviewed the version for instant download on a PC. The download was simple. We have had no problems with the product after downloading it onto our computer.


Take a peek at a sample:


Interestingly, my homeschooler memorized most of her multiplication facts from another rockin' video-based resource from my childhood based on rote memorization. She doesn't understand the concepts behind what she memorized, though, and for some odd reason that I cannot explain, she did not learn what I consider to be the easiest multiplication facts, the zero multiplication facts.

She is very particular to what she accepts in terms of material. She's 11, working around a first grade level for the most part, and is really sensitive to anything she deems (her term), babyish. Finding developmentally appropriate materials that she won't resist and protest is a challenge for me (and for many parents of children with special learning needs).

City Creek Press got a thumbs up, here. *smile* The videos are clever and entertaining, using the menomic device of captioned story telling and songs to illustrate multiplication facts. Times Alive reinforces lessons with problems to complete following each story, with worksheets, with pictures to paint on the computer. The stories reinforce what my daughter has learned and create new associations for her. She enjoys watching the videos. If I did not sit with her while she watched the videos, she would quickly skip the worksheets. (Child needs to be able to enter numerals from a keyboard or keypad or have assistance with that.) There is a back button, a do-again button, and a lesson list button to help with that.

The illustration of how to multiply zero has been helpful. When we work on multiplication facts, I can remind her of the Times Alive illustration to help my girl make the association and get the answer.

I am seriously considering purchasing the City Creek Press product for addition facts for my daughter.

More Crew reviews of Times Alive are available HERE.

City Creek Press gave me the Times Alive download for review purposes. I received no financial compensation for this review and am not obligated to provide a positive review.