The Test My Kid Blog
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.
Your child loves the SplashLearn games and you want to know if it is worth paying for at home. Here is what SplashLearn actually is, what the premium plan buys, and the one thing a games app cannot tell you.
Your child does Zearn at school and you want to know if it is worth using at home. Here is what Zearn Math actually is, whether it is really free, and the one thing a curriculum cannot tell you.
ABCmouse promises a whole early-learning curriculum for a few dollars a month. Here's what it really is, what it costs, the ages it fits, and the one thing all the tickets and rewards can't tell you.
Beast Academy promises real challenge for a kid who is bored by grade-level math. Here is what it actually is, what the books and the online subscription cost, who it fits, and the one thing a rigorous curriculum cannot tell you.
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.
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.
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.
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.
NWEA MAP is sold to schools, and the resellers that offer it to families book testing inside their own windows. Here is what to look for in an at-home alternative, and an honest comparison of a free one.
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.