Help
Need help with Maths-Whizz® Tutoring Plus, or need more information about our powerful online maths tutor?
Click each section to read answers to common questions. If your question isn't answered here, then get in touch by email, or using our online form.
Using Maths-Whizz
What is Maths-Whizz Online Tutor?
Maths-Whizz Online Tutor is an online private tutoring service for 4 - 13 year olds. Following an initial online assessment/test the service delivers a personalised program of lessons to your child through your home computer. As your child uses the service, the lesson program dynamically adjusts depending on their progress. Maths-Whizz Online Tutor uses the teaching and creative animations found in our successful Maths-Whizz Teachers' Resource CD Roms which over 3,000 schools in the UK and numerous school districts in the US now incorporate in their teaching of this key subject.
How often can my child use Maths-Whizz?
Your child can access lessons from their virtual bedroom as often as they like. The lessons take the form of colourful interactive animations, which means children enjoy the experience whilst learning. To avoid burn out, we recommend parents should restrict lessons to no more than 45 minutes per day. This is important as best results are achieved using Maths-Whizz regularly over a sustained period of time, e.g. 20 - 45 minute sessions 2-3 times a week.
When can my child access Maths-Whizz?
As Maths-Whizz is an online service it is available whenever you have access to the Internet. The beauty of Maths-Whizz is that you can build your child's studies into your routine. Access your child's personalised tutoring program from home, friends' or relatives' and even from Internet cafes or hotels.
When can a parent access the Parent Account?
Whenever and wherever you have access to the Internet. You can view an up-to-date report on your child's progress at any time.
Can I let my other children use Maths-Whizz?
If you want more than one child in a household to use Maths-Whizz they will all need to be separately registered, assessed and paid for. Allowing more than one child to use a single Student Account totally disrupts the continual assessment process and is prohibited by our terms and conditions. However you only require one Parent Account, from which you will be able to access all of your children's details.
Where do I find Topic Bank and Replay?
Topic Bank is accessed from the Student Bedroom by clicking on the Whizz Logo and selecting Topic Bank. This Feature is only available to subscribers of Maths-Whizz.
What is the Topic Bank and Replay?
Replay allows students to return to animated Maths-Whizz exercises they have already completed. As an added benefit, your Students will always be able to redo exercises they have particularly enjoyed! Replay can be found in the student Console by clicking on the 'Replay' button.
The Topic Bank provides students with lessons that cover topics up to 12 months back from their current Maths Age™. Screenshots are laid out topic by topic in chronological order. This makes it quick and easy to review foundational skills and build confidence in their maths ability. The Topic Bank is located in the student Bedroom. Click on the 'Menu' in the lower corner, or click the 'Topic Bank' book shelf on the right side of the screen.
The Maths-Whizz Method
What is 'Maths Age™'?
'Maths Age™' is a term unique to Maths-Whizz, that we use to define mathematical ability, similar to the way that 'Reading Age' helps to define reading ability. We use standardized grade-equivalent targets to calculate Maths Age™ to the nearest quarter year (e.g. Maths Age™ 8.25 = equivalent maths ability to age eight and a quarter).
What is an Assessment?
The Assessment is a 'test' to assess your child's ability across the key topics in maths. We have presented the Assessment in an exam style so we can understand your child's basic maths ability topic by topic. The output gives you a guide to your child's actual maths ability and determines the initial lesson plan for the Maths-Whizz service.
Please do not help or let others help your child with the Assessment. A false result will generate an unrealistic lesson plan, and disqualify you from our Money Back Guarantee.
Why is an Assessment necessary?
The Assessment allows the Maths-Whizz Virtual Tutor to create a unique lesson plan which will cater to the needs of the individual student, a plan that will build confidence in their weaker topics and fortify their stronger ones.
Can Maths-Whizz help with tests and exams?
Yes! After successfully completing an animated exercise, the student is usually presented with five test style questions. This is to ensure that the understanding the student has gained through the animated exercises is transferable to traditional paper-based questions. This way Maths-Whizz not only helps to develop understanding and confidence, but also improves test results.
Technical Queries
What are the minimum system requirements?
PC Requirements:
- Pentium II 400 MHz or AMD K6-2 or 100% equivalent processor
- Windows 98, 2000, ME or XP
- 64Mb RAM
- 16 bit colour (though 32 bit is ideal)
- Sound card and speakers (essential for Key Stage1, optional for Key Stage 2 and above)
- Recommended minimum screen resolution 1024 x 768 pixels
MAC Requirements:
- G3, G4 Mac 300MHz
- Mac OS X version 10.1 with 128Mb RAM or Mac OS 8.6 or 9 with 64Mb RAM
- Recommended browser: Mozilla Firefox. If you are using Safari 5, you may experience problems with your flash player. If so please use Mozilla Firefox or Camino.
We recommend that you should have a broadband internet connection to use Maths-Whizz.
What do I need to access Maths-Whizz?
See above for minimum system requirements.
Do pop-up blockers affect the Maths-Whizz service?
Yes, Maths-Whizz operates using the full screen and so pop-up blockers can affect the service. If you encounter problems please ensure that you have any pop-up blocker turned off.
Will my antivirus / firewall software interfere with the service?
Possibly. Norton Internet Security (NIS) and Norton Anti-Virus/Firewall may prevent the service from working. To navigate this problem you must temporarily disable the "Security" option in these products in order to access Maths-Whizz. To do this, select the NIS Security Center option within your Norton software and turn the first option under "Security" to "Off". Then refresh your browser before trying once again to access the service.
If you have a different firewall installed (software that protects your computer from viruses, etc.) this may be responsible for the problem. Try temporarily disabling it to test whether this assists Maths-Whizz.
If you're still unable to get access, please email a complete description of the problem to customerservice@whizzeducation.com . For us to best assist you, you'll need to include your computer platform, operating system, browser type and number.
Our service to you
How much will it cost to subscribe?
Monthly subscription
- £19.99 per month. With each payment you make, you purchase a further month of tuition for your child.
Annual subscription
- £149 per year.
What is the Money Back Guarantee?
In summary, if your subscription begins or has begun after 1st June, 2007, you will be entitled to receive your money back after 1 year if, in that period, your student has recorded time spent on Maths-Whizz exercises totaling at least 78 hours (equivalent to 90 minutes per week) and yet his or her Maths Age™ has not improved by 1 year or more from the initial assessment. The guarantee is based on our experience of the results which are typically achieved by regular and sustained use of Maths-Whizz Online Tutor. Please refer to the detailed provisions concerning the Money Back Guarantee in our Subscription Agreement to Maths-Whizz Online Tutor which will solely determine whether you will be entitled to claim and to receive your money back.
How secure is the information about my child?
When you add a student to your parent account we only collect the minimum information to deliver an excellent service (name, age, sex, username and password). For more information on how your child's information is stored please read our Privacy Policy.
How is Maths-Whizz different from other products?
Books/CDs can help a child to learn but the Maths-Whizz® service teaches by identifying your child's ability level in each topic of the maths curriculum, delivering specific lessons that address your child's needs and dynamically adapting the lesson programme as your child progresses. In addition, most of our animations contain help functions to show how the correct answers can be found.
You can keep track of your child's progress at all times through the Report Card, accessed through the parent account. The report breaks the curriculum down into topics, and shows how well your child is performing in each topic, as well as showing their overall performance.Some Private Tutors offer excellent teaching services to children. Maths-Whizz® is not seeking to replace private tutors, but to offer a more convenient and affordable service with the common goal of developing your child's maths ability. With private tutoring costing between £20 and £40 per hour, we believe Maths-Whizz® offers excellent value.
Other tutoring companies typically offer prescriptive, centre-based learning that you need to fit your routine around. The teaching methods used are not right for all. Maths-Whizz® not only offers you the flexibility of using the service whenever and wherever you want, but also allows your child to enjoy their lessons through the colourful interactive animations and the rewards they can earn.
How do I cancel my Maths-Whizz subscription?
If you wish to cancel your subscription to Maths-Whizz, please email customerservice@whizzeducation.com. Ensure your email arrives at least 72 hours before any new payment is due.
Troubleshooting
I have forgotten the student password
In your Parent Account page, go to your child's student details. Select the link labeled 'Edit details' to change the password to something memorable.
NOTE: You can only access your parent account page if you have a subscription to Maths-Whizz. Parents of children using free student accounts cannot access a parent account.
What if my password/username doesn't work?
Passwords are case sensitive. Check that Caps Lock is switched off and try again.
If you still can't access your account go to our 'Forgot Your Password? page'. If we issue a new parent password, don't forget to change this to something more memorable by using the 'Change Your Password' option on the Parent Account page.My child keeps getting the same exercise. How do I stop this?
This can be caused by your computer's 'cache'.
Web browsers save pages you look at to make surfing the internet faster. The next time you visit a page you've been to before it uses a copy of that page. These pages are stored in the 'cache', or 'Temporary Internet files'.
To solve the problem you can delete these files, or 'clear the cache'. Follow the steps below for your browser:
AOL Browser
- From the 'My AOL' menu, on the AOL toolbar, Click 'Preferences'.
- Then Click 'WWW', look for the 'Temporary Internet Files'.
- Click 'Delete Files' and then click 'OK', this will clear your cache.
Internet Explorer
- Click 'Tools' in the main menus (File, Edit, Tools etc.), then 'Internet Options'.
- This brings up a dialog with 6 tabs across the top (General, Security, Content...).
- Click 'General', and then look for 'Temporary Internet Files'.
- Click 'Delete Files', then (if it appears, check off 'Delete all offline content'), then click 'OK'.
- Click 'OK' again and this will have cleared your cache.
Netscape
- Click 'Edit' in the main menus (File, Edit, etc.), then 'Preferences'.
- Find 'Advanced'. Click the + sign in front of the word, 'advanced'.
- You'll see 'Cache, Proxies, etc...'
- Click 'Cache'.
- On the right you'll see, buttons labeled 'Clear Memory Cache' and 'Clear Disk Cache'.
- First, click 'Clear Memory Cache' when the "?" dialog appears click 'OK'.
- Then click 'Clear Disk Cache', when the "?" dialog appears, click 'OK'.
- Click 'OK' again to close the Cache Dialog box.
- This will have cleared your cache.
Firefox
- Click 'Tools' in the main menus (File, Edit, Tools etc.), then 'Options'.
- In the following dialog click 'Privacy' in the left-hand list.
- Click the 'Clear' button to the right of 'Cache'.
- Click 'OK' and this will have cleared your cache.
If you have repeated problems please email Customer Service at customerservice@whizzeducation.com
Whom can I contact for help/technical assistance?
Please email customerservice@whizzeducation.com
I can't access the Maths-Whizz service!
This is typically caused by Pop-Up Blocker software installed on your computer. Pop-up Blockers are sometimes unable to recognize that this is user requested, so they prevent the page from opening.
Pop-up blockers are included in software from AOL, MSN, Internet Explorer, Netscape, Norton Utilities, Alexa and many more. If you experience this problem accessing our service, try disabling your pop-up blocker. Please also see the FAQ relating to security software.
Top Tips
Make progress with Maths-Whizz
Maths-Whizzers can make good progress with regular Maths-Whizz sessions. We recommend 2 or 3 sessions per week, of between 20 and 30 minutes each. Make Maths-Whizz a part of your weekly routine!
Reinforce key maths Skills
Replay and Revision tools are great ways to reinforce key maths skills. You can pass tutor mode lessons with a score of 70%; but, to really shine, Maths-Whizzers should go for fast times and perfect scores in Replay. They can use Revision to try any lesson up to one grade below their current Maths Age™.
Challenge your Buddies
Whizzers can have up to five Maths-Whizz Buddies to challenge. Join up with school friends, relatives, or neighborhood Maths-Whizzers. If you share Replay lessons with your buddy you will get a 'challenge' every time that buddy beats your score and time, and vice-versa!
Talk about maths!
The key to success with Maths-Whizz is to take all that new maths knowledge away from the computer screen once in a while. Maths-Whizzers should discuss what they've learned with a parent, teacher, or friend, and even try to test their skills in the real world. For instance, you can ask your child or student to help calculate the grocery bill, or challenge your Maths-Whizzer to spot geometric shapes in the house or the class room.
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