Stinky Kid Math (A Schoolhouse Crew Review)

My oldest daughter, who attends public school, struggles with math. It wasn't always like this - at one point she enjoyed math. However, in the end of her 6th grade year we moved from a school she was doing very well in and moved to California with 6 weeks left in the year.  In those 6 weeks her teacher completely destroyed any confidence that she had with math and we've had issues ever since. In  9th grade, she failed Algebra 1. She came very close to failing it a second time her 2nd year, both experiences leaving her feeling even less confident than before.

This is why, when the opportunity to review Stinky Kid Math from Stinky Kid Math, I knew it was something we wanted to try.  Not to say my kid is stinky, but hey, when it comes to math there's no denying that yeah, she stinks.  As a parent, I'm willing to try anything and everything to help my children to succeed in their education.

Stinky Kid Math is an interactive browser based learning system comprising of lessons as well as games that help to reinforce concepts in Pre-Algebra, Algebra and Geometry.  Lessons are short and to the point and the games are fun yet challenging enough to make students use the concepts they have been learning.

Alyssa hard at work using Stinky Kid Math

My oldest, honestly, balked at the idea of using a math program during her summer vacation.  After struggling with Algebra for 2 years in a row, there was no desire whatsoever to do anything school related during her off time.

 There were multiple occasions I asked her to log into the program and she said she would but always something else "came up" conveniently.  After some time, I finally sat her down on the couch in front of me and told her to log in and start learning. In true teenage girl fashion, she rolled her eyes at me, gave a huge huff and reluctantly logged in to begin work on the geometry lessons offered.

Within minutes, her attitude changed.  Her facial expression of disdain morphed into one of interest.  After roughly 20 minutes of watching a few lessons and then playing a few of the game offerings, she looked at me and exclaimed "This is actually pretty cool!"  Coming from a teenager, I would have to say that's a pretty good endorsement.

After that first experience, I found asking her to log into the account to work on some geometry wasn't the teeth pulling ordeal it had been that first time.  There were even a few times I found her logged in on her own, reviewing something she had studied in school that day or trying to beat one of her previous scores on a game.

The video lessons themselves are available not only on computer but most devices that have browser access such as Ipads, Iphones, and android devices which Alyssa has found handy for reviewing concepts before her class.  (Currently the games are not available).

We primarily concentrated on the geometry offerings during our review time, however, with the algebra offerings there are also Books that are printable summaries of Algebraic concepts that can be printed for a hard copy reference along with examples that are easy to understand. There are also worksheets available for printing out for extra practice and can be used as a self check to be sure that the current concept is understood and can be used by the student properly.

Since I personally didn't review this product to form my own opinion (although I did check it out on my own as well), I asked her to keep notes as to how she felt in regards to it.  I felt her opinion would be much more honest as a "stinky kid" actually using the program.

Her Opinion:

Screenshot of Shifter

"This program is very cool and I like that the videos are short but to the point.  They explain stuff without all the blah blah blah and instead go straight to how to do it.  Instead of all these complicated terms, they  break it down into simple explanations that are easy to understand. The games are fun too.  It's awesome and really fun.  The games are really simple but fun but they help teach things and I love playing Shifter.  In one word - AWESOME!!"





Overall, I think this is a great program for any older student who is struggling with high school math or who is looking to help reinforce what they are already learning. As this is a tutoring style program, I would not recommend it as a substitute for an actual math curriculum. However, if used as intended, it can be a great tool to reinforce algebra and geometry concepts students might struggle with in a normal classroom setting.

For more information on Stinky Kid Math along with price information, visit their website. They can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.