There are so many math apps for kids these days, how can you possibly pick the best one? Well I’m hoping this will help narrow down your choices. I’ve chosen 3 of my favorite math learning programs for kids that we actually use in our home, and I’m really excited to share them with you.
I majored in math in college, so it’s really important to me that my kids have the chance to learn math in a way that they really understand it, without leaving any gaps in their learning. So let me show you the math apps that I think are the best for helping kids reach their full potential in math.
Synthesis Tutor – Best Math Apps #1
First, I want to share with you a newer program that we added into our homeschool curriculum over this past winter. It’s called Synthesis Tutor, and it’s a really cool math learning program for kids ages 5 to 11. And I can honestly say that my 9-year-old used to struggle with math, but I think she’s made so much progress since we added this math app.
She actually tells me math is her favorite subject now! And she really enjoys it and doesn’t whine about having to do it, which she DEFINITELY would not be shy about doing if she didn’t like it. She will flat out tell me she hates some of her curriculum. But not this one. It’s really just so different than anything else out there.
Students can choose any topic they’d like to work on, such as numbers and place value, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, fractions and more. Once you complete a lesson, more lessons and games will be unlocked. Kids can redo lessons that they enjoyed and play games over and over to beat their best score. But even though it may seem like a game to kids, it’s actually nothing like the other math games apps out there. This math program really focuses on helping kids gain a deep understanding of math while also honing their critical thinking skills. But it somehow manages to do this in a way that’s fun for kids.
All of the lessons on Synthesis Tutor are guided step by step by a virtual tutor, and that makes it so simple for kids to follow because the tutor tells them exactly what they need to do next. And you really just need to see this in action to understand how cool it is. It teaches math in a way that’s very different from anything else I’ve seen. It’s very visual. I think of it like using math manipulatives except it’s done online.
My daughter really likes the fractions lessons, where you get to break a block up into millions of pieces. She’s also getting better at her multiplication facts, and teaching division has been a breeze. And even though she already knows the basics like addition and subtraction, she still enjoys those lessons because they dig deeper into the concepts and help her understand the math on more than just a surface level. And that’s really important to me as a parent. I want her to understand the basics really well before we move on to the higher level math topics that we have coming up in the next few years.
So whether you’re a homeschooling parent like me who wants to help their kids really jump ahead in their curriculum, or a parent with kids in school who wants to see improvement in their kids’ grades without having to hire an expensive tutor, this is a must have tool that I highly recommend.
You can get a 7-day free trial of Synthesis Tutor and after that it will cost $45 a month if you pay monthly, or $348 for a year if you pay up front. And if you sign up on their website, you can get 20% off your subscription with code “SAVE20,” so it’s a great time to check out the program for yourself. And if you want to see a full in-depth review of the program, I do have a review on my YouTube channel that you can check out.
Prodigy Math
Next is Prodigy Math, an online math program for kids in 1st through 8th grade. My 9-year-old daughter has been using this for about a year, and I’ve definitely seen progress since she started it.
The best way I can describe Prodigy Math is that it’s a lot like Pokémon. Your child will be playing this sort of RPG type game where they collect different pets and battle with other players. But unlike a typical video game, with Prodigy they’ll have to answer math questions in order to refill their magic meter. So for kids, it’s mostly just a fun game that happens to make them answer math questions. But for parents, it’s more like math practice disguised as a game. So you both win.
You can use Prodigy Math completely free, which is great. But if your kids end up liking it, they’ll probably be asking you to pay for the upgrade. This lets your kids have access to more pets, plus various other additional features. I pay for the level up membership and that has been enough for us. If you pay monthly that membership is $9.95 a month, and I think it’s well worth it.
What I really like about this math app is what you can do as a parent. There are a lot of math games and apps out there, but they don’t all allow the parents to do what you can do with Prodigy. You can set a progress goal, which I do every time my daughter is going to play. We set it to 10 questions – so she basically has to play until she gets 10 questions right. But you can use the goals however works best for your family.
You can also view your child’s progress and areas where they may need extra help. So if there’s a concept they may be struggling with, you can print out practice sheets or have them watch a video lesson on that specific topic. I have made use of this, and it has really helped. You can also view a report card, and the curriculum by grade.
Prodigy also has an English program that you can add on as well. We’re not currently using it, but I have reviewed it before, and it does look like an interesting program to try!
IXL Math App
Next on our list of the best math apps is an online math program that I highly recommend for all parents with school age kids called IXL. This program can be used to help students practice math, language arts, science, and more, but I think it’s definitely most helpful for math.
The IXL learning program teaches math skills from PreK though calculus and beyond, and includes text and video lessons, games and more. But what IXL is really best known for is their amazing diagnostics tools and ability to identify and help close learning gaps. So if you want to help your child get better at math but aren’t really sure what areas they’re struggling in, this tool can help you.
What I recommend you do first is have your child spend some time in the diagnostic arena. They’ll just answer a series of questions, however many they want, and the tool will determine in real time which areas they need more practice in. Then it will recommend specific skills for them to practice in order to help improve in those areas. So you can have your child use the diagnostics tool periodically and see which areas they should focus on. There are also analytics for parents that can give you some good insight into your child’s progress.
When it’s time to learn on IXL, you can pick your child’s grade level, and either start at the beginning, or choose a specific skill for them to work on. Or they can just go to their recommendations wall and start practicing the skills that IXL recommends they work on.
Normally IXL does not have a free trial, but I do have a link for you here where you can get a 7-day free trial of the program. After that, if you decide to keep it just for math, it will cost $9.95 a month, which is very reasonable in my opinion. If you want to learn more about IXL and all of its features, check out my full review of the IXL learning program on my YouTube channel.
So there are my top 3 best math apps that I highly recommend you try out. They each have something different to offer, so check them out and see which one seems like the best fit for your family. Or do what we do and use all 3! If you have any questions on any of these math programs, let me know in the comments and I’ll be happy to answer. Thank you so much for watching!
