Komodo Math Review & Tips for Getting Started
Are you considering Komodo Math for your child? Read my full review to learn the pros & cons, pricing and how to get started to help your child build math fluency.
I occasionally like to think of myself as a runner. Unfortunately, being an “occasional runner” does not lead to increased strength, endurance and overall improvement. What it ends up looking like is running for 2-3 days in a row, then taking a break for a week or two. Inevitably, when I go to run again, it feels like I’m starting over. My muscles have to work back up to their prior strength and even though I might have been able to run 3 miles two weeks ago, I can no longer make it that far without walking & taking a break.
Note: This post is sponsored by Komodo Math, but all opinions are completely my own and based on my own use of the program with my 5th grade child. Read our full disclosure here.
Building math fluency is a lot like running. It requires consistency & dedication. Short, but purposeful practice actually doing math. What do you think will be more beneficial to a student who struggles with math–spending 2 hours slogging through problems once a week, or spending 15-20 minutes a day five times a week? Shorter, but more frequent practice & study sessions help kids become more confident in their math skills and helps their brain retain what they’re learning better than cramming it all into one huge session (plus, kids have short attention spans, so good luck trying to do 2 hours of math!)
This is one of the things I appreciate about Komodo Math: it is designed to provide short, regular practice that’s effective & aimed at exactly the skills your child needs to work on.
If you have a child or student in grades K-5 who could benefit from extra practice, I invite you to check out Komodo Math.
Komodo Math Review:
Here are some things my 5th grader and I have enjoyed about Komodo Math so far:
- A real teacher is involved in creating a custom learning plan, based on your child’s needs and their score on the initial assessment
- There are short, clear teaching videos to teach & support each math topic
- The math practice sets are focused, without being overly busy or difficult to navigate
- Parents can further customize their child’s learning plan (you can decide how many problems they do in each set, what they need to score in order to move on, etc.)
- There is the opportunity to make corrections, allow students to reflect and learn from their mistakes (rather than simply telling them the answer as soon as they get it wrong)
(And just a quick note–my child is in 5th grade, which is the upper age range for Komodo, but this would also be a wonderful support for younger kiddos. There are lots of great visual models in the problem sets and videos, and personalized support from a teacher to create a learning plan that best suits them).
One thing that was a little stressful for my child initially was the timer on each problem set. This does not count down, but simply tracks their time spent. Once I explained that she didn’t need to feel rushed or pressured, that she can take all the time she needed, she felt better.
But I also love that I was able to easily turn the timer off with the click of a button in the parent dashboard. It’s not helpful or motivating for her, so I turned it off by clicking “hide lesson timer.”
The dashboard also provides transcripts and a dyslexia option that changes the colors in the app to minimize visual stress.
Although the math practice is not gamified, Komodo does emphasize motivation & celebrating milestones and wins in the learning process. They also strive to include parents in this as well, allowing parents to set specific goals and rewards for their children within the platform.
To motivate my child, I added a “pool time” reward to her account. Whenever she completes the requirements this summer, she can redeem her reward for some relaxing time at the pool.
After each session a short report is emailed to parents. They can then reply to the email with some encouragement and the message is sent to the child right inside the app. (<–This is such a unique feature and a great way for parents or other supporters to be involved in learning and cheering the child on!)
If you’re looking for something to help your child prevent the dreaded summer slide or something to help them fill in math gaps, or just give them a leg up in math for the next school year, see if Komodo Math is right for you.
Getting Started with Komodo Math:
You can get started with a free trial so you and your child can test it out to decide. Setting up the app and your family account is easy.
Once you sign up, you’ll need to download the app to your device(s) of choice. I downloaded it to my computer because I think that’s the easiest device to use, but it’s also available for Apple & Android tablets and phones.
Once you’ve got the app downloaded, you’ll create an account login and get your kids set up.
For each child, you can provide relevant information about their needs and learning (this includes current grade level, but also accommodations they might need, such as extra time, if they are dyslexic, etc.).
Then you’ll just have your child take a quick assessment. This is not long or overwhelming, but it allows the teachers at Komodo to get a snapshot of their current understanding, speed and fluency.
After that, you’ll need to wait while a teacher sets up a customized learning plan for your child. I heard back in about 15 hours, but that was because it was on the weekend. Typical turn around time is 2-3 hours. If you don’t hear anything in 24 hours, just reach out to them and they will help you out!
Once your child’s account is ready, they simply login and start their math practice!
Altogether, the app download and account set up took me less than 30 minutes. Then the next day we had our customized plan and my 5th grader has been working through the lessons since then!
Komodo Math Pricing Options:
No matter which plan you choose, you will start with a 2-week free trial.
Then you can choose between a monthly option and an annual option. The monthly plan (for one subject and one child) is the most flexible and is $14.99/month.
But you can also add language arts to your child’s plan for $21.99/month.
Adding additional learners is easy and can be done at time of sign up, or later once you decide to stick with the program. Additional learners can be added at a 50% savings.
If you’re concerned about saving money, annual plan options will save you 25%, offering the best value.
