The Parents' Quick-Start Guide to MathFactLab (Family Plan)

Thank you for choosing MathFactLab. The goal of this guide is to help you and your child(ren) get started with MathFactLab right away.

Table of Contents

• Creating Your Child's Account
• Generating Login Cards
• How Your Child Logs into MathFactLab
• The Placement Test
• Your Child's Experience in MathFactLab
• A Brief Overview of MathFactLab
• Monitoring Progress
• Adjusting Settings

Creating your Child's Account

To begin using MathFactLab, your child(ren) will need their own accounts.

To create your child's MathFactLab account:

1. Make sure you are on the Children tab.
2. Click the green + button in the top-right corner.

3. Enter your child's first and last name.
4. A username and password will be automatically generated. You can change these if you wish.
5. A class code will be automatically generated for your family. Your child(ren) will need this to log into their accounts.
6. MathFactLab offers two learning modes: Your child will either work on Addition/Subtraction or Multiplication/Division.  Select the learning mode that you would like your child to work on. 
   1. As learning multiplication facts requires fluency with addition facts, we recommend mastery of the basic addition facts before moving on to multiplication facts. 
7. MathFactLab has three language options: English, Spanish, and French. Select the appropriate language for your child.
8. When you’ve completed the form, just click Add Student on the top right, and these details will be saved.

Go to Family Plan Step1: Creating Child Accounts for a more detailed explanation.

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Generating Login Cards

Before your child can log in, they'll need their login credentials. Login cards contain your child's login credentials and instructions for logging into their account. A login card, like the one shown below, is automatically generated for your child as soon as you create their account. However, in some circumstances, it might be helpful for you to create an additional login card for your child.

To generate login cards for your child, please follow the steps below:

1. Select the Children tab.  
2. Click the Actions dropdown menu.
3. Select Generate Login Cards.

A PDF file with the login cards for your child(ren) will be generated and sent to your email address.

Go to Family Plan Step 2: Generating Login Cards for a more detailed explanation.

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How Your Child Logs into MathFactLab

There are three options for getting your child logged into MathFactLab:

Option 1 - Starting from the Parents' dashboard:

If your child will be using the device on which the parent is already logged into their MathFactLab account, the child can log in to their account by clicking on the Login button beside their name.

Option 2 - Logging in using the child's credentials:

1. The parent should record their child's username, password, and class code from the Informative side of the Children tab on the parent's MathFactLab dashboard, or create a login ticket containing that information. Here are the instructions for creating a login card.
2. Your child should go to app.mathfactlab.com and click on the Students tab, enter their username, password, and Class Code, and click on the Login button. Your browser will most likely ask if you'd like these saved. Selecting Yes will make logging in easier in the future for your child.

Option 3 - The QR Code Alternative

The child will click on the Sign In with QR Code button on the MathFactLab login page, allow the use of the device's camera, if asked, and hold their login card with the QR code in front of the camera.

Go to Family Plan Step 3: How Your Child Logs into MathFactLab for a more detailed explanation of these three options.

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The Placement Test

When your child logs in for the first time, they are welcomed with a brief introduction to the program and are then given a placement test. This test determines which level seems the best starting point for your child.

After the placement test, your child will learn their starting level and can begin using the program.

Go to Family Plan Step 4: The Placement Test for a more detailed explanation.

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Your Child's Experience in MathFactLab

After clicking Let's Get Started, your child will be brought to the student dashboard.  Here, your child will work on a series of activities and strategies.  Each selection will be accompanied by visual models to help your child better understand the math facts that they are working on. 

When all of the activities have been completed (green checkmarks in the corner of each), the Level Lifter button unlocks, and your child can choose to take the assessment.  When your child demonstrates sufficient ability with the facts learned at this level, they will be promoted to the next level. If not yet ready, they will be returned to the same level’s dashboard for additional practice.    

To unlock the Level Lifter again, your child will need to score 900 points on one activity from each operation. This means they can focus on the activities that work best for them.

Go to Family Plan Step 6: Your Child's Experience for a more detailed explanation.

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A Brief Overview of MathFactLab

What separates MathFactLab from its competitors is our research-based focus on strategies and models. Other programs are typically just glorified memorization, an approach proven to be ineffective.

• MathFactLab helps children learn new math facts by helping them conceive of them in multiple ways and build new facts by combining previously learned facts.
• MathFactLab children learn addition and subtraction simultaneously. Likewise, they learn division facts while learning multiplication facts. This helps children recognize the relationships between these facts and learn them faster.
• In MathFactLab, children progress through a series of levels. The basic levels we consider essential. The advanced levels are for those needing an extra challenge.
• To make good progress, we recommend children aim to complete 3 or more sessions per week, with each session lasting a minimum of 10 minutes.

Go to MathFactLab’s Research Foundations and Demonstrated Effectiveness for a more detailed explanation.

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Monitoring Progress

Parents can easily monitor their child's progress by logging into their parent account. Doing so, you'll be able to see your child's:

• Initial and current levels
• Placement test results (by clicking the 3-dots action button)
• Results from the most recent Level Lifters (by clicking the child's current level)
• A log of each session (by clicking Usage Stats)

Go to Family Plan Step 8: Monitoring Progress for a more detailed explanation.

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Adjusting Settings

You have many options for adjusting settings to best meet the needs of your child(ren):

• Adjust session length from 5 to 20 minutes
• Change the response rate for an answer to be considered fluent.
• Allow greater flexibility on Level Lifters.
• Unlock Level Lifters when your child appears ready.
• Give Level Lifters interviews.

All of these changes can be made on your parent dashboard by either clicking the edit icon or the 3-dots icon across from your child's name.

Go to Family Plan Step 5: Editing Your Child's Settings for a more detailed explanation.

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Wish to learn more? The articles below go into your account details in more depth.