ClassHero for Math App Review
App Info
Price: Free
Parents of school-aged children would probably agree with me that sometimes a full-on battle is waged on the home front when it is time for homework. Motivating kids to practice spelling, math or reading outside of school can be challenging and frustrating. If this scenario sounds at all familiar, then maybe you should try Learn & Earn app for math. This app is designed to help kids from first through fourth grade actually want to practice by setting up a reward system that they can work towards.
There is a bit of set-up required before your child can begin to use this app. First, parents must enter the parent section and set up an account with an email address and password. Next, you create an account for the child/children who will be using this app. At this time, you will need to set the parameters that your child must meet in order to earn their reward. For example, you need to choose how many days a week your child must use the app and for how long (i.e. 10 minutes 3 times per week). You are also required to commit to how much money you are willing to spend on rewards in the reward store. These are actual rewards that you purchase from Amazon and ship to your home. You can also add your own rewards if there aren’t any in the store that appeal to you or your children. Now your child can begin playing and, more importantly, Learning & Earning!
To begin, the child must tap on the Kid’s button and find their profile. Next, they can enter the reward store and choose which item or items they want to earn. A menu will open which gives them the activities they can play to meet the goals you have set. There are several math skills that align with the requirements for U.S. Common Core. Some examples from the second grade curriculum include Evens and Odds, math problems with pictures, distance, and skip counting. As your child plays the games, the app keeps track of the time spent each day and their progress. The child can also see how close they are to earning their reward.
The app is free to download and you can try it until your child earns their first reward. After that, you must pay either a monthly subscription of $4.99 or an annual subscription of $39.99 to continue using the app. The subscription prices do not cover the price of the rewards; that is a separate payment. The prices of the rewards in the reward store range from $6 up to $85 dollars with the majority of the prices being around $15 to $20 dollars. I would imagine that there would be shipping on top of that, but I am not certain about that.
I think that Learn & Earn has a pretty unique approach to getting kids to practice their math. The idea of children being able to earn an actual reward from playing an app is new to me. The fact that they have partnered with Amazon to purchase the rewards makes it pretty convenient for parents as well by eliminating the need to take your child to the store to pick something out. I did not have the time to try all of the activities, but the ones I did try were fun and seemed consistent with the concepts my son is being taught at school. I would be a little reluctant to use this app in my family, simply because of the monetary commitment involved in using it. However, if that is not a concern for your family, then this app would be a great way to motivate your children to practice, help them set and work towards a goal, and earn a prize for their hard work.
