Smartick (A REVIEW)

We had the opportunity to try Smartick an online Math Program for grades K-8. This math program was not only a great way for my kids to get some practice, but it was also a great way to see where they are at and what they need to work on. They worked on reviewing things they'd already learned, but they also had lessons on new concepts throughout the program. Every day there was something new to start whether it be logic, a video to watch about a new concept or just a fast practice of stuff they needed to brush up on. I was impressed at how "smart" this program is to the child's needs.

Smarttick homepage

Smartick is a completely online program. I was able to sign all three of my children up for a 6-month subscription, each with their own sign-up page. I also have my own parent page to keep track of things. The sign-in page looks like this:

Smartick sign-in page

The child picks their avatar/name from the log-in page to start a session. Once they do that it opens up to a personalized page welcoming them, and a play button to get started. They click on the green play button...

Starting a Session: Welcome page

To find this "how are you feeling" page. My boys usually always picked the sad at the beginning and ended with the happy (they are asked this at the beginning and end of a session)

Starting a Session: How do you feel?

Finally, it's time to get down to work! They answer a series of questions based on the level they are at, and what the task is for the day. Note: if they are just starting the program they will have to do an assessment for the program to place them at the right level (this took a few days for my boys).

On this particular day, my son Alex who is 3rd grade is just working on some addition. Each problem that he works through gets him closer to another tick (the bar at the top in the picture below). This is great to be able to visually see the ticks, but what my boys didn't like was when they finished a bar like the one pictured below, suddenly a whole new bar would appear and they'd have more problems. This frustrated them greatly as they didn't know if/when they would finish. They need to see clearly that a) they are almost done or b) they have a long way to go, but there is an end. I am not sure exactly why that happens. Maybe there's a good reason, and my boys just have to get used to it (which they have).

Starting a Session: An example of a problem.

Smartick is fun and engaging. Other than my boys thinking it took forever to do, they seemed to really enjoy the pictures, sounds, and fun things. There is a store where they can spend their ticks. My 3rd grader decided to earn enough ticks to buy a soccer outfit for his avatar. That was motivating for him! He was very excited when he reached that goal.

The 3rd grader working on a session

One other thing about Smartick is that it's timed. This kinda stressed my boys out at first, but it's another thing they got used to, and it was actually a really good thing. It pushed them to not waste time, and get faster at their mental math. The program keeps track of how quickly the child is answering the questions, and I get a daily report of how well they did in each session. They liked it when I said the report was "OUTSTANDING" and this was another motivator for them.

The 3rd grader working on a session.

Overall, I think this is a great online math program. I love how it works and gauges where the child is in their math journey and presents new lessons or logic questions as the child progresses. It's engaging and challenging at the same time. It really pushes the child to just past what they think they can do. Give it a try for free. I believe there's a free trial, so see for yourself!

Or you can also read what other crew members had to say by clicking on the image below.