Ed Shed

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Math Shed and Spelling Shed are online programs for kids in grades 1-5, using games and a points system to help them (you guessed it) work on their math and spelling skills. We were given a 12-month subscription to both programs and my older two kids have been enjoying them. One of my boys spends most of time in Math Shed, while the other splits his EdShed time more evenly between the two games.

The teacher’s hub allows you to set a spelling list for your student, choosing from the Spelling Shed curriculum, Dolch, UIL, or Fry lists, or by entering your own spelling words. I left it set to use the Spelling Shed lists, which follow a phonics-based approach. There are many other settings you can adjust in the teacher hub, but I didn’t feel that was necessary for our family. (Be sure to check out the other Review Crew reviews if you want more details on the teacher settings – there were other families who chose to utilize this feature.)

Inside the Spelling Shed, students can choose a stage (for this curriculum it’s Stages 1 & 2, Stage 3, and Stages 4 & 5, select a game, and then pick a level (easy, medium, hard, or extreme). The basic spelling game is timed, with a subtle timer across the top. One of the bonus games is a bit like traditional hangman, with students needing to select letters to fill in the blanks for a word. The second bonus game reads a sentence to students and they have to fill in the missing word.

You will need to have working audio for Spelling Shed, since the game “speaks” words that need to be spelled.

While Spelling Shed has a bee theme, Math Shed is set in outer space, with each section depicted by a different planet. Kids can choose from 

• Number Bonds
• Times Tables (with division)
• Powers of 10
• Addition and Subtraction
• Year 4 Multiplication
• Negative Numbers

Within each section are more options for what to cover. For instance, they could choose to focus on just multiplication by 8s, a mixed game of multiplication by 2s, 5s, and 10s, division by 2s, or many other options. Inside the addition and subtraction section, students can focus on numbers up to 10, 20, or 100, or do 2-, 3-, or 4-digit problems. Once the number range is selected, you then choose a level – easy, medium, or hard. 

This selection process makes it easy to really narrow down what you want to focus on, and how challenging it should be. Just like in Spelling Shed, these questions are timed with a very subtle slider bar timer across the top.

Both Math Shed and Spelling Shed use a points system, called honeypots, and students can earn more honeypots for the more difficult levels. Honeypots are EdShed currency that kids can spend on fun extras for their avatars, such as glasses, patterned shirts, and fun backgrounds.

Both my older boys are really enjoying Math Shed and Spelling Shed, and my preschooler keeps asking when he can have an account. The games are short and engaging, and I love that they can choose to challenge themselves or take a more relaxed approach and just review work they already know well.

Check out the Homeschool Review Crew post to read more reviews of Math Shed and Spelling Shed.

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