Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What's the difference with other products?

Little Math
Flash Cards
Different playback variation every time (font, color, icons, etc.). Card displays are the same every time.
Can personalize and customize lessons. (This is true even for the physical flash cards.) Cannot personalize or customize.
Uses both the flash method and multisensory method. Based on the flash method.
Shows icons for quantity, written numerals and word representations for learning the concepts of quantity and basic math operations. Most flashcard products just show quantity and words.
Comes with a 12-month daily curriculum, where each day is a different lesson, leading from learning the concept of quantities to finally full operations. You have to create your own curriculum and prepare all lessons yourself.
"Living product" - can download thousands more content files, mostly for free, including in different languages. Product stays the same forever.
Foreign language support. Not applicable.
Community support - you never have to teach alone. Very limited (or no) community support.

Little Math
DVD-Based Systems
Different playback variation every time (font, color, icons, etc.). The show is the same every time.
Can personalize and customize lessons. (This is true even for the physical flash cards.) Cannot personalize or customize.
Uses both the flash method and multisensory method. Typically only based on either the multisensory method or just the flash method.
'Living product' - can download thousands more content files, mostly for free, including in different languages. Product life extends over several years for each child. Product stays the same forever. Short product life (less than 1 year).
Comes with a 12-month daily curriculum, where each day is a different lesson, leading from learning the concept of quantities to finally full operations. Limited curriculum, with the same lessons played repeatedly for weeks or months.
Foreign language support. Not applicable.
Community support - you never have to teach alone. Very limited (or no) community support.

Important note

Little Math is not designed to replace anything, but to complement everything else that is available. We recommend giving children as much variety in learning as possible - teach your baby with flash cards, DVDs, and most importantly, teach your child math with 'real' everyday activities as application! Each has its role to play, and each is different enough to give your child a different 'twist' to learning!

Are computer screens safe for babies?

Many people have negative associations with TVs and computer screens (especially concerning children), but the reasons are mostly not applicable anymore with today's technology.

Previously, old-style TV sets and computer monitors (big chunky ones, known as CRT - cathode ray tube - monitors) produced significant amounts of radiation, but the situation is much improved with today's LCD monitors.

Old computer monitors had low refresh rates, which cause eye-strain with some people if they have to gaze at them for hours. Today's monitors have much higher refresh rates, and furthermore, Little Math lessons only require sitting in front of the computer for a few minutes at a time, not a few hours.

TVs in general also get a bad reputation because, for example, the American Academy of Pediatrics advise that babies below 2 should not watch TV. However, the reason has got nothing to do with the TV itself, but the CONTENT. Programs like those on the Cartoon Network have rapidly changing images which bombard children with stimulation, and watching such programming for a long time may desensitize them to other stimulation, leading even to attention deficit disorder.

With Little Math, the lessons last just a few minutes and is nothing like that type of programming.

What age is this suitable for? What about older children?

Whether or not Little Math is appropriate for your child is not so much to do with age, but you're your child's reading ability. You can start using Little Math as early as 3-6 months, but many parents are also using it on much older children, especially when introducing the concepts of math for the very first time. Note: Different children react differently to Little Math at different ages. Some don't pay attention when they are 1, but then suddenly take a big interest when they turn 2, and vice versa. All kids are different!

What about other languages?

Currently, Little Math comes with an English language (US) curriculum and media sets in English and Mandarin Chinese. However, you can download additional media sets in many different languages from the BrillKids forum.

When will I see results?

Firstly, our strong advice is NOT to focus on results.

Focusing on results tends to bring about negative emotions such as anxiety and disappointment, which will be picked up by your child.

Instead, treat lesson time as a time for bonding with your child. The aim is to expose your child to math and to have fun while doing so, thereby giving her a joyful and loving experience. Keeping a bonding-focused mindset will make you a much more effective teacher, and you are also likely to find that your child learning math is a very pleasant side-effect.

Having said that, it is very difficult to say when you would start to notice that a child has started to remember words. All children are different and develop at a different pace. A lot also depends on when you start and how much your child is enjoying the lessons.

Some parents who started early (eg., at 5 months) started noticing that their child can recognize some words as early as 9 months. Some parents who started later (eg., at 2 years) notice this even after 1 month. Some parents have reported that their children never showed any signs of learning for many months, until suddenly one day they read out words that they see in the street.

Whatever the case, always remember that this is not a race! Any exposure to reading that you give to your child during the early years will already be very beneficial.

How many computers can I install it on?

Your license allows you to install our software on up to 2 computers at any one time. When inputting your license key, your activation record will be registered on your BrillKids member account. If you change computers, simply access your member account online and remove one of the activation records to free up a spare slot.

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