The Test My Kid Blog

Clear answers about how your child is doing in school.

Practical, growth-minded guidance on math, reading, grade-level expectations, and the test scores schools use, written for parents who want to know where their child really stands.

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Choosing programs

IXL Alternative for Parents: Free Ways to Practice and Check Math

IXL is thorough and structured, so why do so many parents go looking for an alternative? Usually it's the SmartScore that swings, the subscription, or the read on grade level they still don't have.

7 min read
Choosing programs

Khan Academy Alternative for Parents: What Are You Missing?

Khan Academy is free and genuinely good, so why do so many parents go looking for an alternative? Usually because of the one thing it was never built to do.

7 min read
Choosing programs

Beestar Review: Are the Free Weekly Worksheets Worth It?

Beestar's free weekly math worksheets show up in your inbox every weekend, and the rankings make your kid feel competitive. Here is what the free program actually is, what the paid tiers buy, and the one thing a leaderboard cannot tell you.

6 min read
Choosing programs

Prodigy Math Review: Is the Game Actually Teaching Math?

Your kid is begging for a Prodigy membership and you want to know if it is worth it. Here is what Prodigy Math actually is, what the paid tier buys, and the one thing a game cannot tell you.

6 min read
Choosing programs

Is There a Free Alternative to NWEA MAP You Can Use at Home?

NWEA MAP is built for schools, so parents can't run it on demand between the fall, winter, and spring windows. Here is what to look for in an at-home alternative, and an honest comparison of a free one.

6 min read
Choosing programs

Is There a Free Alternative to iReady You Can Use at Home?

iReady is built for schools, so parents can't just check their child's progress between testing windows. Here is what to look for in an at-home alternative, and an honest comparison of a free one.

6 min read