My kids love playing on the computer, so I am thrilled anytime I find something educational for them to play. Help Me 2 Learn has provided a great way for them to learn and have fun at the same time. Super Star games are very easy to install on your computer, and once installation is complete you no longer need the CD-ROMs. Each game has a teacher and parent section where you can easily track your students' progress. The software is also equipped with The Super Star Motivational and Data Tracking System, which allows students to follow their progress, and motivates them to keep working. Students earn gold or silver stars in Letters and Numbers after completing each section. In Games of Math 3, students will need to complete each level of a section before unlocking the next section. The progress button is located at the bottom of the screen.

For ages 2-7, Super Star Letters and Numbers covers recognizing letters and letter names, alphabetical order, letter sounds, beginning spelling, recognizing numbers up to 20, number order up to 20, counting up to 20, and adding and subtracting up to 20. These concepts are taught with 15 two-level activities and 11 songs. All of the concepts covered are very basic. If you want something with more phonics or higher math, you may need to look at the other programs offered by Help Me 2 Learn. One example of a game is the Birthday Party game. There are eight presents shown. The student opens two at a time to try to find the matching letters. For this game, level one has lowercase letters and level two has uppercase letters. Your student does not have to complete level one before moving on to level two. There is a sing-along song for each section with two different levels of listening. In level one your student can choose to listen to the song in normal or slow speed with the vocals turned on. In level two your student can choose to have the vocals turned on or off. The songs are really cute and are sung to recognizable tunes. In the Speed Round, your student will race against the clock for one minute to practice what they've learned in each section. This can be either motivating or discouraging, depending on how competitive your student is. A star button at the bottom of the screen allows your student to see his progress. Completed sections are shown with either a gold or silver star, depending on what was earned, and sections not yet completed are clear.

Games of Math 3 is recommended for ages 6 and up, but the concepts covered are more on a third grade level. There are three levels of difficulty; the beginning level has multiplication facts 2x10 and below, the intermediate level has 5x10 and below, and the advanced level has 7x20 and below. When your student signs in, if he picks a level above the beginning level, he will have to answer a few multiplication questions before proceeding in that level. There are 12 levels within each game. You have to reach a certain score before moving on to the next level or unlocking the next game. Multiplication facts are practiced without a time limit in Home Run Derby and with a time limit in Long Jump. Word problems are covered in Blowing Balloons, while Slam Dunk works on negatives and decimals. Downhill Ski covers patterns, and Bowling for Bugs covers algebra. If extra practice is needed for multiplication, there is a section where you can choose which tables to practice without playing any of the games. There is also some help provided in the math rules section. When my daughter reached the section on negatives and decimals (which she hadn't learned yet), we went to math rules to see if that would help her understand, but she only grew more confused by all the information given. Games of Math 3 is great for practice if your student has already covered all of the concepts, but if not they may grow very frustrated. The progress page is excellent in showing how many levels of each game have been completed. There is also a detail button that shows you what games have been played, the length of time they were played, how many questions were answered, and the score.

My children have had a great time playing Letters and Numbers and Games of Math 3. There are four different options for purchasing. You can purchase the Home Edition for download for $19.95 or the CD-Rom for $24.95. The Student Edition is meant for the classroom and includes some extra features for classroom management. The download is $25.95, and the CD-ROM is $32.95. For homeschoolers or use at home, the home edition would work just fine.

Product review by Stacy Rocha, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, May 2010