Homeschooling Math: From Monsters to Artificial Intelligence
Math is one of the most critical foundations of learning, helping us understand everything from the world around us to the depths of outerspace. As we homeschool, we’ve tested three different programs to teach our kids math: Beast Academy, Khan Academy, and Synthesis Tutor. Each offers a unique way of learning, and while we haven’t settled on a single approach, we’ve learned that the best choice depends on age, learning style, and flexibility needs.
Beast Academy makes math fun through comics and puzzles, engaging kids in deep problem-solving
Khan Academy provides structured, standards-aligned learning, making it great for reinforcing skills and tracking progress
Synthesis Tutor is an AI-driven, fully adaptive tutor that personalizes math learning based on real-time student needs
Beast Academy: Math with Puzzles and Monsters
Beast Academy takes a creative approach to math, using comic book-style lessons featuring quirky monster characters who introduce concepts through storytelling and humor. Instead of just teaching formulas and methods, it encourages kids to spot patterns and solve logic-based puzzles. The problems often require trial-and-error and critical thinking, making it feel more like a game than traditional math. It’s a great fit for children who enjoy challenges, but the difficulty can jump quickly between levels, which can be frustrating for some learners.
Khan Academy: Structured and Standards-Aligned
Khan Academy offers a more traditional math approach, aligning with state curriculum standards. It’s an excellent tool for targeted learning, allowing kids to work through step-by-step lessons, practice problems, and watch video explanations. Parents can monitor progress through a dashboard, making it easy to see where extra help is needed. It’s especially useful for reinforcing specific skills and filling in gaps, though the exercises can sometimes feel repetitive compared to more interactive or game-based methods.
Synthesis Tutor: AI-Enabled Personalized Learning
Synthesis Tutor is a fully adaptive, AI-powered tutor that customizes math lessons in real time based on a child’s strengths and weaknesses. Originally developed for the children of SpaceX employees, it provides an interactive, tutor-like experience, allowing students to ask questions and receive instant, personalized feedback. Unlike static curriculums, Synthesis Tutor adjusts dynamically, helping kids focus on areas where they need the most improvement. While it holds a lot of promise, it’s a newer technology, and we’re still exploring how well it works over time.
Takeaways
Different approaches work for different kids. Some respond best to logic-based puzzles (Beast Academy), others thrive with structured lessons (Khan Academy), and some benefit from personalized AI tutoring (Synthesis Tutor)
We’re learning as we go. The best method depends not just on the child but also on where they are in their learning journey, and our approach will continue evolving as they grow
We’re in the middle of an education revolution. AI isn’t just making learning more accessible—it’s transforming the way kids engage with math. The shift from traditional teaching to fully adaptive, interactive learning is happening in real time, and we’re watching it unfold firsthand
For now, we’re embracing the flexibility of homeschooling and choosing the right tool for each child’s needs—because in math, there’s often one right answer, but many ways to get there.
