Being on the Homeschool Review Crew this year has been a blessing. We have used programs, like this one, that I never knew existed until they showed up on the Upcoming Vendors list. Our family received a six month online Smartick subscription. I chose McKenzie, my 4th grader, to be the reviewer.
Just what is Smartick? Well, it is a comprehensive math practice that combines math, reading comprehension, logic, and reasoning to improve mathematical skills. Developed for children aged 4-14 the program helps build mathematical self-confidence. The program only requires 15 minutes of your time and it is recommended the student work 4-5 times a week. While progressing through the curriculum the artificial intelligent tutor adapts to your students math abilities as they progress through the program. Since it is not age or grade based students can progress through the program to develop their individual strengths in math.
To begin is super easy! I set up an account for McKenzie and then she took a short assessment for the program to determine where to start her. There are 10 sections that the Smartick program works through, but the order is determined by the AI tutor offering the right amount of challenge each day. As the student progresses through the program, the child is able to earn “ticks” which can be used as tokens within the Smartick world of play. Ticks can purchase virtual pets, clothing for your avatar, furniture for your virtual home and more.
***If I had known we could have had more than one user from the start of the review, I would have signed my son, Micah who is in Kindergarten, up for his own profile as I think he would benefit as well. As of the writing of this review (10/24), I have added him to my student list and he is a happy boy!
To keep the student motivated to learn, diplomas are offered as your student makes their way through the math program. McKenzie earned one diploma so far, the Pythagoras diploma for successful completion of “Rookie Mathemagician of the House of Pythagoras”. She was so excited when she earned her first diploma! Other diplomas to be earned feature names of other famous mathematicians like Newton, Galileo and Gauss.
There is also a feature that allows the Parent Tutor to come up with their own reward. For example you could say, “ if you do 8 sessions by the end of October, you will earn a trip to the Dollar Store”. You can determine your own goals for your children if you want. McKenzie doesn’t need this type of motivation to complete her Smartick each day, the diploma, ticks, and virtual play time within the app are sufficient enough for her.
When she received a report that was “Satisfactory” or below, I was able to quickly log in to the parent section and see exactly what she had trouble with that day. Several times she has received an outstanding reports and these emails also help me to know she is grasping the material taught in the lesson. You’ll also get an email if your Smartick session was missed for the day. I will say we only had one time when the iPad would not connect to our vans internet (smart van problem, not Smarticks) and McKenzie was not a happy camper as she looks forward to her Smartick time.
Smartick also has a games section where your student can play arcade like games such as Simon, Memory, Tic Tac Toe and more. Games focus on memory, reasoning, flexibility, and attention span. McKenzie has not spent too much time within this section, only because she likes to play with her virtual avatar. But for any game loving child this section is a goldmine.
I have to be honest here and say that Smartick is an AWESOME online math program! We have used and reviewed many programs over the course our 11 years of homeschooling and Smartick takes the cake! It is comprehensive and fun! I never hear any complaints from McKenzie or Micah and it is one of the first things they ask to complete each day. I have seen great improvements in McKenzie’s math ability, especially in her math facts. Who knew a 10 year old would be so excited to be learning division problems!
This is one program that I will continue to use for the remainder of the school year for both of my younger children. I am already earmarking funds for next school year to include a Smartick subscription because I feel like this program is an investment well spent! But don’t just take my word for it, see what 43 of my CrewMates had to say about the Smartick program by clicking on the banner below.
Company ~ Smartick
Product ~ 6-month Smartick subscription
Format ~ online math program
Price ~ varies per plan, see above
Ages ~ 4-14 years old
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