Rayssa G.
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Verified by
Mary P.
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Last updated:
July 11, 2024
— User Reviews
(1)
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Thinkster is designed to enhance children’s math skills through a blend of expert private tutoring, AI-powered resources, and personalized study plans. Aligned with the Common Core State Standards, the platform offers over 100,000 interactive worksheets and engaging video tutorials covering K-8 and High School math curricula.
With features like offline accessibility, automatic scoring, and interactive games, Thinkster aims to make learning math effective and enjoyable. Starting at just $20 per month, Thinkster provides access to comprehensive learning resources, thorough analytics, and tailored activities. Plus, the free version includes a skills assessment, and there’s a 7-day money-back guarantee, giving parents a chance to opt out if the platform doesn’t meet their expectations.
Thinkster combines expert tutors, AI-powered tools, and personalized study plans to enhance children’s math skills with a curriculum based on Singapore Math. The numerous digital worksheets are highly interactive and attention-grabbing, which they need to be to keep young learners interested.
There are built-in tools that let kids easily write, erase, and rewrite. We especially appreciated that the worksheets are also available offline, so children can learn even without internet access. This is great for avoiding digital distractions like social media and online games.
From the moment you log in, you can tell Thinkster is a highly engaging learning platform. Its design caters to kids and teens, with vibrant colors, cool fonts, and neat icons. Choosing an avatar is also fun, and all these kid-friendly aspects play an important role in captivating children’s attention.
Students take a skills assessment before starting their learning journey, so the platform can tailor a learning plan addressing skill gaps. Then, a tutor is assigned to your kid and is responsible for picking the proper math worksheets, grading them daily, and scheduling one-on-one tutoring sessions weekly. All tutors are background-checked and certified math coaches.
Thinking outside the box, Thinkster lets tutors see exactly how the students got to the answers on their worksheets. Students’ input is recorded exactly how they’ve entered it so the teacher can understand the reasoning behind the answer. Plus, although the worksheets are automatically scored, they’re still available for tutors to review.
The extra sparkle is the reading program, which allows students to build strong comprehension and critical thinking skills with numerous reading activities. Plus, in all math and reading activities, students can choose whether they want to track time in each question.
Finally, parents and kids have different profiles, so it’s possible to see the analytics about the child’s learning process in the parents’ profile. Easy-to-read reports clearly display the number of completed worksheets, time spent, scores, and tutors’ feedback. Additionally, there’s a messaging system so parents can communicate with coaches.
Thinkster collects personal information including identifiers (like names, street addresses, and email addresses) and non-personal information (such as usage data and aggregate information). According to its privacy policy, personal information may be used for various purposes, including responding to inquiries, improving services, and marketing. Users can opt out of marketing communications and access or change their data.
Although the educational app isn’t COPPA certified, Thinkster highlights in its policy that it addresses the protection of children’s privacy, international data transfer, and compliance with California regulations. Plus, knowing that tutors are background-checked gives parents peace of mind. Moreover, the learning software‘s transparency in data handling reflects its dedication to safeguarding its users and fostering a trustworthy learning environment.
Thinkster’s interface is highly engaging and captivating, so browsing through its resources is an enjoyable experience. However, as much as the learning platform is kid-friendly and intuitive to use, several pages took quite a while to load during our testing, which was a bit disappointing and may frustrate some learners.
There isn’t a desktop app, but people can access the platform from any browser. Unfortunately, there isn’t a mobile version, which would be a convenient way for kids to study while using their smartphones and tablets.
Like every learning platform that offers private tutoring, Thinkster isn’t cheap. However, prices are fair considering the amount of resources available and the level of assistance the private teachers provide. The League and Premiere League plans include all the learning resources, plus a monthly call with a math mentor to keep children on track. Prices start at just $20 per month.
All-Stars Coaching includes one-on-one tutoring sessions and starts at $24 per session. It’s also possible to use the platform without paying, as a free version includes skills assessments, worksheets, and games. Moreover, there’s a 7-day money-back guarantee, allowing everyone to thoroughly test the platform and get a full refund if dissatisfied.
Meanwhile, expert tutors teach STEM courses with engaging and hands-on problems. There are three different courses: Logic, Data Analytics and Probability, and Python. Each course costs $500 and can be purchased separately.
Thinkster offers help via phone, ticket system, live chat, and a dedicated center with explanations about its resources and features. Although offering so many support channels is advantageous, we were a little frustrated when trying to reach out via the ticket system. We submitted a ticket with our inquiry, and instead of an email with the answer, we received a phone call and a text message.
Nevertheless, there’s a blog with interesting articles not only about the platform’s resources but also about education in general. The company is also active on social media platforms, such as Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.
All things considered, Thinkster is a powerful ally for parents to help their children enhance their math skills. The platform’s highly engaging resources and interface cater to kids of all ages, captivating their attention and making learning an enjoyable experience. Plus, scores, avatars, and rewards incentivize students to keep improving.
Moreover, personalized learning plans and private tutoring sessions with certified tutors provide all the support a child could need to excel.
Despite its strengths, Thinkster’s customer service could be improved, particularly in streamlining answers to inquiries and response times. Additionally, while the platform’s interface is engaging and intuitive, slow loading times may frustrate some students. Most importantly, to really appeal to all students, there should be a high-functioning mobile app.
Even though Thinkster’s resources are comprehensive, the platform may seem expensive at first glance. However, starting at just $20 per month, prices are fair considering everything you get. The best part is that there’s a free version, offering access to essential resources and a 7-day money-back guarantee to help you make a well-informed decision.
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We are thrilled to share that there have been some updates since this post was written! We now have native iOS and Android apps available on tablets and phones. With this app update, the concern of the slow loading times is also addressed too!
Our plans & programs have also been updated, with plans now starting at $45/month. While we no longer have a free basic plan, we offer a 7-day free trial – which gives parents an even better experience to truly see all the fantastic features our tutoring and learning programs offer.
We’re happy to connect with those wishing to learn more about our programs, and share how we can help kids become math confident for life! 🙂