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Product tests

Find out what MNers think of Smartick’s online after-school maths programme

255 replies

JustineBMumsnet · 10/06/2019 09:54

This is the feedback thread for the Mumsnet users who tried and tested Smartick’s online after-school maths programme for children. This product test was open to all UK MNers with at least one child between the ages of 4 and 14, that have access to an internet-enabled computer/laptop or tablet.

Here’s what Smartick have to say: “Smartick is an award-winning, AI-based, online maths programme designed to develop mathematical abilities in children ages 4 to 14. Smartick promotes an understanding of maths through personalised and accelerated learning by adapting to each child's level and learning pace in real time, allowing them to work according to their maths needs and capability. Each child has a unique and personalised path that constantly adjusts to help fill in gaps in knowledge.

There are more than 20,000 users of Smartick in over 100 countries. We've collaborated with the MIT G-Lab and been published by Harvard Business Review and Forbes as well as featured as an app favourite by Apple.”

Testers please answer the questions below:

  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?
  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?
  2. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?
  3. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used?
  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?
  2. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?


All testers will be required to leave feedback on this thread on Mumsnet and also fill in a short survey. All who do so will be entered into a prize draw where 3 MNers will win a £100 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply
Find out what MNers think of Smartick’s online after-school maths programme
OP posts:
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1969angep · 11/06/2019 14:48
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)? Lucas is quite good at maths but can be a bit lazy so it was a good way for us to assess at home where his strengths and weaknesses are
  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful? I received a phone call from Smartick where they wanted to check if we had any queries and whether the sessions seemed to be at the right sort of level. We had no issues but it was nice to have contact
  2. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick? Lucas loved the immediate feedback of a tick when he go the answer right. I liked that as a parent we got feedback too by e-mail
  3. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used? We haven't really tried any others. Although we have access to Mathletics via school we've never used it at home.
  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills? We liked the sequence based questions and Lucas has quickly become much better at these. Sometimes we found it hard to understand what was being asked at first so got things wrong because we misunderstood the questioning.
  2. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not? Yes, by and large I think it's a fun programme and because it's relatively quick each day it doesn't feel too onerous (in fact we just refer to it as a maths game!)
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Lent1l · 11/06/2019 19:04
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?

I just wanted to see if there was something additional I could be doing to help her confidence.

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?


No

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?


She seemed to enjoy trying the questoins but did not like listening to the questoin so I had to read them all out to her.

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used?

I did not find this one as intuitive and also it did not easily allow me to select a different level if the questions ins seemed too easy.

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?


It seemed in line with how she is taught already.

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?


It seems expensive and we didn’t get on that well also I’d prefer something she doesn’t have to do every day to avoid the reminders as it depends on what other homework and the day she’s had as to whether we’d sit down to do it.
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mashpot · 11/06/2019 19:18
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?


DS(7) loves maths so this was a great opportunity for him to try something new. He is not very challenged at school so I like him to have additional exercises to try. DD(4) is in reception and just starting maths so I hope it gives her a good start.

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?


Yes, someone from Smartick called me but I didn't have any questions or concerns.

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?


Both children love it. They really want to make sure they complete their sessions every day. They like getting instant rewards with stars and being able to 'spend' them in the shop. They like the play activities after the days session is done. They like finding out how they did that day via the email I receive. I like the fact they will do the work on their own and I don't have to stand over them!

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math programmes you may have used?

I have only used physical workbooks and the children obviously prefer doing this programme on the iPad.

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?

I haven't noticed but it is a good way of learning.

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?

I haven't looked at the price so difficult to say. I have read in the other comments that it is expensive so I suppose it would depend how it compares to the price of a tutor. The reason I say this is that I think the game is good fun but I cannot tell how much my children's knowledge and ability are actually developing and whether they are learning new things. DS seems to get 'outstanding' every day which makes me wonder if he is learning anything new. A tutor is perhaps better able to modify their teaching depending on results.
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Shatteredmumof2 · 11/06/2019 20:26
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?My son loves maths and after doing this programme it has helped him progress further along to get him to the top set in his year group.

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful? I did! I spoke to a lovely lady on the phone asking me how ly son was getting on and whether I had any questions for her.


  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? He loved how you can progress to each section and work his way to get certificates.


What do you as a parent like about Smartick? I love being emailed everytime my son finishes his session to let me know how he has done in each section.

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used? This is the first time we have tried a maths programme and I cant imagine shopping around for another.

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?


  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not. Absolutely! This has helped my son improve on his maths and even his teacher has seen a difference. I love the enthusiasm he shows each day wanting to do his session.
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heymammy · 11/06/2019 20:47
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths


Ds is particularly good at maths but his teacher doesn't want to single him out by giving him different work to do Confused so I was hoping to just give him more fun maths to do as he loves numbers so much

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?


No need, set up was simple

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?


Honestly, his favourite thing is collecting and spending stars in the shop and changing up his avatar! I like that I get an email after every session.

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math programmes you may have used?


Ds uses Sumdog and to be honest there is no comparison. Sumdog is streets ahead in having really engaging, playable games which ds wants to play over and over again.

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?


Seems fair enough and fits in with the style of learning at school.

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?


Probably not tbh, ds wasn't that keen to do it as it was "a bit boring" and he much prefers Sumdog, which is free. Also, it often wasn't obvious how to answer the questions so he got some 'wrong' when he had actually input the correct answer in numbers but hadn't tapped on the pictures to select them as well.
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Paddingtonthebear · 11/06/2019 20:53
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)? My child enjoys maths at school and I wanted to continue her progress


  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful? No I didn’t have any contact from Smartick



  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick? My daughter enjoyed it to start with but there were a few glitches and

Some of the questions didn’t make sense to her. She also found it quite repetitive


  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used?
She preferred Maths Whizz

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills? This is good, but there is quite a lot of repetition and no options to correct an answer once submitted



  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not? Yes and no. It’s good but we preferred Maths Whizz and Maths Factor. It’s way too expensive, I don’t know anyone who would pay for it.
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embarassedmum2017 · 11/06/2019 21:04
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?
My 9 year old needed a bit of stretch as he appears to be capable of more than he is presented with at school. He loves a challenge! My 4 year old will be starting reception and it is a way to prepare her for school.

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?

Someone called but I was at work so couldn’t talk, I received an email asking if we needed any help but we didn’t need any.

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?

There is something about it that engages them, I have never forced them to do it. They tend to ask to go on immediately after breakfast, before school. My 9 year old loves the games after and my 4 year old loves getting the stars as she progresses.
I love the tutorials as there has been a couple of topics that were new to my 9 year old and I encouraged him to check the tutorials which he found easy to understand. I like the mix of maths and reasoning. I like the fact that the sessions are fairly short so not too daunting though I think this is gradually increasing.
I did find that my 4 year old often gets bored with the repetition sometimes. I also think that children should be able to catch up on days missed.

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math programmer you may have used?

We have only tried a couple but always dropped out after a couple of months as the children do not tend to use it enough to justify the cost. They are more keen to use this one as they find it more fun to use.

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?

I think it is very important that children are able to apply their maths knowledge to everyday life which is what this allows them to do. I loved seeing my 9 year old talking to himself while trying to figure out some of the not very straight forward questions.

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not? I will, it is a very good system but too expensive so I don’t think they would go for it.
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LateKate · 11/06/2019 21:24
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?


My daughter has been struggling in maths (she finds the speed at which they need to respond to times tables and division stressful) and as such has lost her confidence in that area. My younger and elder son have both ended up doing sessions too and it has been amazing to see their confidence grow.

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?

Yes I had a follow up call from a lady at Smartick, she was very professional and encouraging and set my mind at rest in the early stages when I was slightly concerned about how the friend requests and messaging worked.

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?

They enjoy the rewards of ticks throughout the session- this is especially useful with the four year old who is easily distracted as it keeps him focused moving to the next one. My 7 year old daughter loves the virtual world and challenging people to competitions. My 11 year old finds the tutorials helpful and likes that I get a session report so we can chat about what he found straight forward and what needs work without him having to remember. They are all motivated by reward so the diplomas are a great thing to aim for.

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used?
We haven't done any others but I think the session length in these is perfect- many I have looked at last much longer and it's a bigger commitment to fit them into the day and harder to motivate the kids to do so I think Smartick would win on this point alone.

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?

I think this is great and will hold them in good stead in many subjects not just maths. My eldest two both enjoy their bonus problems at the end.

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?

Absolutely, we already have done and several have signed up for the trial at least. I would love to continue it on-going but sadly I think the price for three children to do it is going to be prohibitive (my own fault for letting them all get so into it!) but I can easily see it offers huge value for money compared to getting a tutor and offers a much needed boost if you are only paying for one child. My children are asking if they can do it rather than me reminding them to!
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Potsie · 11/06/2019 22:15
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?
My daughter has her 11plus next year and she was keen to practice her Maths

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?

I received an email, but didn’t follow it up as I didn’t feel I needed help with anything

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?

My daughter was very happy to work on it every day. Collecting stars and receiving awards worked very well with her. I liked the fact that I could leave her encouraging messages.

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used?
This is the first programme that she’s been really enthusiastic about

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?

I think these are important skills to learn

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?

I would, as I think it’s a great way to get children practicing their maths skills, although I think it’s too expensive
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lucyrobinson · 11/06/2019 22:31
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?

My son loves technology and apps. I’d love him to improve his maths. So learning through his tablet is ideal.
  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?


I haven’t spoken to anyone but I really like the emails informing me of his progress and letting me know if he misses a session.

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions?

He liked building up his stars and spending them. He enjoyed buying a puppy.

What do you as a parent like about
I loved the emails tracking his progress. I loved that he got to correct his mistakes.

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used?
We’ve used a few other maths apps. This one is good. My son enjoys it. Not sure I understand the right/left questions.

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?

I love watching my complete the sessions. I think the problem solving skills are great to learn.

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?

Yes. I think anything that encourages maths is great. Love how you can build up stars to buy things for your house.
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sebanna · 12/06/2019 09:45
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths - My daughter was behind in maths and I felt it would help her catch up.

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?
  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful? I was a sent an email from someone saying they had tried to contact me by phone.
  2. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick? The children enjoyed collecting stars and buying things for their characters. I enjoyed seeing them make progress and spending time with them. It gave me an idea for where they were up to with maths.
  3. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used? I have only used " hit the button" which is very different to smart ticks, as it is much cheaper but limited to testing basic maths' information.
  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills? Only have done a few logic problem, my son kept trying to whizz through them without reading them through properly.
  2. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not? I have enjoyed using smarticks and would like to recommend but too expensive.


I found the children sometimes got stressed due to the timer element of the programme, this stress sometimes prevented them from concentrating on solving the actual problem. Also it would be nice if parent's could have some control on the areas covered in the daily sessions.
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Zoozoo101 · 12/06/2019 10:43
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?

My DD loves maths so I thought this would be a fun way to extend her learning beyond what she does in Y1. esp during half term and wet weekends when she likes to keep learning.

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?

n/a

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?

She liked getting the answers right. Some wrong answers were due to technical or translation issues (I think the English version needs tweaking to tie in with the British maths curriculum). We have belatedly found the games which she loves. I like the app as I know she enjoys it and feels like she's achieving something. It has been interesting for me to see what she has learnt at school (and can therefore do on Smartick) as there seems to be a lack of knowledge on my part of what maths she is learning.

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used?

Can only compare to the one used by the school for occasional homework but its not a weekly homework task so its useful having the regular use of this.

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?


I think it is very useful and beneficial.

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?


maybe - but I suspect the cost of it would be an issue. Also it needs to be more English in terms of the language and the way the questions are written eg I hadn't heard of the work rekenrek, although we worked it out.
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Mabellucieattwell · 12/06/2019 11:17
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths


My main motivation was to keep up her knowledge over the holiday periods. She loves maths and likes using computers so this seemed an ideal choice.


  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?


I did have a call from someone and it was extremely helpful. My daughter was finding the time bar along the top very stressful when it turned red. The lady I spoke to on the phone switched that facility off and it now stays green! Much better for DD.


  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?


She likes doing the programme on the computer but hates the fact she has to do 15 minutes. She would prefer to have to complete a section and then move on. She is quite quick so that would probably mean her spending less time on it. During term time this would be better as she has quite a lot of prep to do. I like the fact it assesses them and changes the work according to what level they are at.


  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math programmes you may have used?


Not used any.

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?


This is great and I think very important.

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?


I like the program and think most kids would like it but it is incredibly expensive. I certainly would only sign up to use it over the long summer holiday.
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mandes1 · 12/06/2019 11:32
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?


My son really enjoys maths, but I felt that he still struggled in several areas. As he will be going into Year 3 next year, I thought the programme would really help to give him an extra boost.


  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?


No, I did not need to speak to anyone from Smartick.

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?


My son really enjoyed the completing the lessons and also he liked that he had the opportunity to go back and re-do the questions he got wrong. He also liked the sound when he got a question right. I liked that the programme was easy for him to go through the questions. It was bright and engaging and very appropriate for my son's age (7).

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math programmes you may have used?


Smartick has engaged my son very well. It does seem to be aimed at his age group 5-8, I would say.


  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?


It is absolutely crucial for children to learn critical thinking and problem solving skills. It would help them in other areas of their learning and life. It is important at my son's stage on the verge of entering year 3 where independent thinking will become more useful.

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?

I would recommend Smartick to friends and family. It is a great programme for kids, but it would need to be affordable and have options for multiple children within the family.

Thank you.
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Bryna · 12/06/2019 12:26
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?

To get a sense of where they are and what their weak points might be.

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?


I haven’t spoken to anybody.

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?


My eldest (14) liked to be able to do challenges against other people. My youngest loved being able to buy a dog! My youngest (5) found it very repetitive and it didn’t vary the questions enough, even though every session he was getting 100%.

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used?

The oldest two use Corbett maths, they preferred to use this as it was more game based, however you’re unable to select topics to concentrate on.
  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?

This is the best bit, thinking laterally, and using different ways to do things.
  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?

Probably not due to the price! The idea is great and the kids are happy to use it, but a subscription is expensive.
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edwardcullensotherwoman · 12/06/2019 13:33

This has been one of the best tests so far, my children have loved it! DS1 (11yo) hasn't missed a day since I signed up Grin

Here's my full feedback -

  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?
To get them to build on what they learn in school. Also to give them more of a bilingual aspect, since they learn everything in school through the medium of Welsh.

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful? I had a message left and an email offering support if I needed it, but I haven't needed to contact them so haven't spoken to anyone directly.


  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?

My children loved the idea of building up their ticks, and the motivational announcements along the way. My eldest has had a couple of the "diploma" style achievements too which has fuelled his want to continue.
The younger ones love the play section with the store, treehouse, well etc too.
I like that I can go in and check on their progress and that I could add in additional incentives of my own if I wanted to. The daily emails telling me what they've done and how well they did are really good, and the emails reminding me that they haven't completed a session are really handy.


  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used?
I've never used this type of programme before.

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?

I think it's great, the way the questions are set out for them is very engaging and has definitely helped improve their problem solving skills.

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?

Yes I would. It's fun and engaging, and the little rewards along the way are brilliant. The content tailors itself well to their age, curriculum and ability so it's generally very relevant.
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edwardcullensotherwoman · 12/06/2019 13:34

I forgot to add that it's great across several platforms. We've used it in Safari, the iPad app (my favourite as even the 4 year old can go in by herself now!), on a PC via Chrome and the eldest even used his iPhone (via Safari).

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lorka · 12/06/2019 13:41
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths?

I wanted my daughter to practice maths outwith school and to help increase the speed of her mental maths.

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?

Someone did call but I never spoke to them.

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?

I thought it was very well laid out and easy to navigate for children. Both my child and I like that the answers could be corrected at the end for more gold stars. My daughter enjoyed making the avatar and being able to buy items from the shop once she had enough ticks. I also liked the feedback summary so I could see how my daughter got on.

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used?
I have never used another online maths programme

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?

I think it is very important for every day life

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?

Yes, I would recommend Smartick to friends and family. It is very child friendly and can be done by themselves at their own pace.
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Cosmia · 12/06/2019 17:02
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?

I wanted to keep my DS interested in maths - he gets a bit bored with the standard stuff from school as it is quite repetitious (tho I do appreciate this is critical for learning). I also wanted something my DD could do, she is younger but keen to copy what he does.

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?

No contact.

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?

Kids really liked it, very visually attractive and nicely presented. The voice over aspect helped them be independent too.

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math programmes you may have used?

Havent used other online programmes. Sessions were a bit long and it would have been nice to have more adjustability in terms of their ability.

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?

Liked it - took a while for my DS to get his head around them but once he got it, he really enjoyed.

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?

Yes definitely, really usable and easy. Very child friendly and attractive.
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marymanc · 12/06/2019 18:08
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)? My son is autistic and struggles a lot with maths. I thought it would be good to let him try something different to practice.
  2. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?

No. I received some reminder email that I found useful.
  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?

It was easy to use, it was fun.
  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used? This is the first online maths programme my child have tried and he found it very interactive and creative compared to traditional maths.
  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills? I think it is the best approach to teaching maths to children.
  2. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not? I would definitely recommend it as it keeps you informed on your child's progress and it challenged my son without being too hard.
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Jaderice21 · 12/06/2019 18:15
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)? I wanted my daughter to take part as I know how much she loves learning and though it was a brilliant opportunity she has done it every day and been so excited to log in and learn.
  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful? yes I had an email conversation and let them know what I thought so far thought the whole process was nice to talk to someone about smartick makes me believe they care about the programme
  2. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick? Emily liked the positive reinforcement of the stars and getting the answers right and learning and she liked the interactive area where she could get her person dressed, I liked the daily updates telling me how well she was doing I also liked how much fun she was having learning.
  3. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math programmes you may have used? we've tried a few but my daughter has been more engaged with smartick.
  4. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills? I think it important to help them with the learning journey and in later life.
  5. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not? yes and I have as i am so impressed .im also writing blog post about how good it is x
Find out what MNers think of Smartick’s online after-school maths programme
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Nonstoplaundry · 12/06/2019 18:16
  1. The main motivation was for my son to improve his maths knowledge in preparation for the 11plus test later this year.
  2. No, I didn't need to contact anybody from Smartick.

3.My son really enjoyed the sessions, he found it fun and got to do competitions in the virtual world, which he enjoyed.
As a parent, I liked the fact that my son could get on with the session without too much supervision and nagging. I also liked that I got detailed feedback each time and that he could do the full session using the iPad.
  1. We haven't used any other online programme apart from the one from school. The school one requires using a PC which is not as user friendly as using a tablet.
  2. I'm not sure about the critical thinking skills as I didn't actually see any of that whilst he was using it, although I would definitely encourage this type of learning.The problem solving was great, that's the kind of maths my son enjoys.

6.yes I would, depending on how much it would cost. It seems like a well thought out package and definitely encouraged my son to practice maths more often.
Thanks for the opportunity to try it!
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EsmeeMerlin · 12/06/2019 18:18
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?

My eldest son Michael is in reception and is advanced in maths and seems to have a gift for it. He picks it up quickly and can sometimes get bored with maths lessons at school. I wanted to try the maths programme to see if it would challenge him and be personalised for his ability.

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?

Did not have any contact with anyone from Smartick

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?

He really did not enjoy it, he found the session quite repetitive in its questions and we could not navigate the site to choose which maths topic he wanted to do. One session seemed to be repeatedly asking him which object was full/empty. He got bored after a few questions. We also found it was not really personalised to his ability. Many of the questions were really simple and not at all challenging.
I liked the sessions are timed and the child can earn ticks and rewards but ultimately as my son did not like it, we would not use it again.

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math programmes you may have used?

We use the site discovery education espresso which has maths, english, science etc and all the other subjects children do at school and find it much better. It has activities, videos, printable resources and games and covers everything. You also have the ability to choose which activity the child does so you can do an activity on the 2x tables one night and then fractions the next depending on what the child is doing in school.

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?

I think it is important.

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?

No we would not. It failed to get my son's interests and I think there are better websites for home learning.
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KellylMetcalf · 12/06/2019 19:04
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?
She loves maths and Wanted to help her progress further

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?

I didn’t speak to anyone

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick?

She enjoyed seeing her reach each progress star in the session. And she loves the addition of the games.
I love that they test her and give her work at her level.

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used?
Best one we have used!

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?

Helps keep them thinking rather than just seeing numbers.

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?

Yes I would recommend. It’s helping my daughter do maths faster and she has enjoyed it so much.
Thank you for letting us have the opportunity to test the app.
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vibecece · 12/06/2019 19:59
  1. What is your main motivation for getting your child or children to do additional maths

practice (e.g. to improve current grade, to progress beyond what they are currently taught at school, etc.)?

My son is learning maths and this is an added benefit for him to learn further.

  1. Did you end up talking to someone from Smartick via phone or email – whether you reached out or they did? Was it helpful?


Someone reached out to us through an email and explained the added benefits of using the app everyday. There were good videos as well.

  1. What did your child enjoy about the sessions? What do you as a parent like about Smartick


My son got to learn maths through the math games provided. Also, he got to earn token rewards he used to buy things for his avatar/buddy

  1. How does Smartick compare with other online math programmes or traditional math

programmes you may have used?

This is the first math programme he has used online

  1. What do you think of the emphasis on children learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills?


It’s good for all kids

  1. Would you recommend Smartick to friends/family? Why or why not?


Yes it’s a great online program that keeps your kids engaged and they progress in their learning
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