Khan Academy got boring but Duolingo has my 9yo actually learning Spanish because it's gamified to hell and she doesn't realize it's educational lol. Are there others like this? Looking for math, maybe some science stuff. We do actual school but the apps are more for making learning feel less like homework, if that makes sense.
Codecombat for coding if she's into that - teaches actual programming but it's literally a game RPG. Also Toca apps for younger kids but yours might be past that. They're weirdly educational without trying
Duolingo is legit. The mascot thing is annoying but yeah my kids don't even realize it's learning. For math we've been using DragonBox - super gamified, way less "worksheet vibes" than Khan Academy
Duolingo hit different for my kids too. The streak mechanic actually works. Just don't let them get obsessed with the 100+ day streaks or they'll lose their minds if they miss one day lol
lol the fact that your 9yo doesn't realize Duolingo is educational is the entire point nailed. That's how learning should feel. Have you tried Brilliant.org? Pricey but the interactive math/logic stuff is weirdly addictive even for adults
Gamification is the hack that actually works. Duolingo's whole design is "how do we make learning into an addiction" and it works. For science stuff, tried Crash Course Kids? Not app but YouTube and honestly my 9yo will watch those over her regular shows
Prodigy Math is pretty good if you want something that feels like an actual game instead of a quiz app. My 8yo asks to play it without me bribing him which is... wild
Duolingo is perfect example of what works - she doesn't realize she's learning because the game IS the point. For math, have you tried Prodigy Math? It's RPG-style and kids actually want to play it. My 9yo asks to do math now which is unhinged but I'm not complaining
Yeah Khan Academy felt like homework to my kids. Tried iXL and it's similar trap - feels like busywork. But Prodigy actually works because leveling up your character requires solving problems. The dopamine hits differently
Seconding Prodigy. Also check out Desmos if she's into visual stuff - graphing calculator that's actually beautiful and doesn't feel like education. And for reading, Epic! has thousands of books and kids earn rewards for reading which is genius
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Have you tried Brilliant.org? Pricier than the others but the problem-solving approach is way less busywork-y than typical math apps. My 10yo actually got interested in patterns and logic instead of just grinding problems