Life of Fred: Butterflies

This math course is built around a story. Its premise is that children who enjoy their lessons will remember what they learn and grow to like the subject instead of dreading it. Rather than dry rules, the approach treats math as something that can be playful without losing rigour. The course suits a child who already knows basic addition and multiplication and reads comfortably. The young student follows an adventure about a character named Fred, works through the problems that appear naturally within the plot, and checks each answer against the solutions printed alongside. Explanations are brief rather than detailed, so this is a child-directed program rather than a traditional textbook. Those who use it often find that children grasp the concepts simply by reading the story.