Is Khan Academy Kids Suitable for Your Child?

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As a student or teacher, you must have used any Khan Academy product at some point in your life. A lot of its products and apps are free and focused on teenagers or adults. But, this scenario changed in 2018. Khan Academy launched a kids app that focused on children from ages 2 to 8. A lot of researchers, parents and kids are praising this app. But, what is special about it? Let's discuss it in this blog.

Introduction to Khan Academy Kids

It is a free app created by Duck Duck Moose and the Khan Academy team in partnership with the Stanford Graduate School of Education. It contains a huge number of activities in math, ELA, social-emotional learning, creative expression and executive function. These activities are in the form of books, games, videos and other learning opportunities. Arnold (2020) shares that this app increases the literacy skills of kids through its free services. It is designed for kids between Pre-K to 2 grade.

Pedagogy Approach of Khan Academy

These activities are designed according to learning themes from Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework. These activities vary in different ranges so teachers can select any activity from four ranges of difficulty. The main pedagogy approach of this app is interactive videos. These videos have all the elements that support lifelong learning in the kids. 

Di Blas et al., (2014) share the key pedagogy of Khan Academy Kids. It is the Technology, Pedagogy and Content Knowledge Model (TPACK).  It means that technology is the heart of learning and teachers should effectively add it to the curriculum. It helps educators create purposeful lessons that can interact with kids and enhance their interest in learning. Khan Academy is helping teachers in this situation by providing a gaming-based learning platform for young kids.

Teachers Using Khan Academy Kids

Teachers first of all need to provide and confirm an email address. Then, they need to create a separate account with the name, age and avatar of each pupil. These avatars will excite young kids and they will be willing to use this app. Now, teachers need to give a unique class code to kids to sign in. When kids enter the classroom, they can see their avatars and activities that are designed for their age and past performance.

Parents and teachers can utilize this tool in various methods. They can either let the kid explore activities or perform them individually. Or, they can select activities for any individual kid or class to perform. They will get progress feedback that will tell them where the kid is lagging and how they can help them improve their skills. For both methods, you have to utilize the app differently. 

If you want instruction-based learning, you have to click on the play button present in the center. But, if your kids want to learn at their own pace, they can go to the book icon that is at the top right corner. It will take you to the library where kids can easily venture through the vast range of activities and can choose what is best for them. It means that you can easily use this app as a learning station, computer lab activity or for homework.

To increase the impact of these activities, you should mix up instruction-based learning and free exploration methods. It will give a variety of learning to kids. To enhance the learning, you can show them activities on the app and then take it off-screen. Because Mayer (2014) said that “people can learn better with collaborative online learning activities”. For example, you can play any video from this app in the classroom. After it ends, you can start discussing it or do any relevant activity in the classroom that will deepen the understanding of your kid. It will also promote collaboration in the class.

Children Using Khan Academy Kids

This app helps build the academic skills of young kids in core subjects and real-life skills by developing soft skills such as social-emotional learning. It also develops self-directed learning in kids as they can explore libraries and choose activities on their own. It has an array of activities that contains games, books, videos of singing and dancing, vibrant videos explaining content, drawing and coloring activities and much more. Due to this variety, students with learning disorders can also use this app. Moreover, gaming aspects keep them engaged and willing to learn new concepts.

Mayer (2014) said: “Students learn better when the associated statements are narrated rather than presented visually.” Khan Academy agrees with this that's why it has added an audio instructions feature for young kids. When a kid opens an activity, the app gives them detailed instructions on what to do in the audio format. Kodi Bear appeared on the screen to give instructions along with different movements that are amusing for kids. If students need additional support, they could also get it from the app.

Vibrant colors of activities also appeal to kids and they are more likely to get invested in doing the activities. There is a cute animal guide in the app too that is amusing for kids and adults alike. When a kid completes any activity, the game unlocks new costumes and animals for kids. They can select any animal to add to their collection. They can even visit the animal’s home and dress it up as they want. A lot of people believe that it is distracting kids from education but some found this feature useful in giving a sense of accomplishment to kids.

Parents Using Khan Academy Kids for Homeschooling

Khan Academy Kids know that a lot of parents prefer homeschooling for their kids. These parents wanted to develop all the essential skills in their children while giving them the full curriculum. So, this app has added Maths’ full curriculum in it along with English literacy skills and science concepts. It develops reading, writing, phonics and speaking skills in kids. It has a mastery-based learning program that ensures that no kid proceeds without mastering a specific concept. So, it promotes active learning and cognitive abilities in the kid.

A lot of homeschool parents have adopted the “mastery hours” technique. In it, they mostly gave two hours to learning daily so that their kids could have time for other activities. In these two hours, you can use the Khan Academy app to teach and let kids do self-directed learning.

Key Features of Khan Academy Kids

We have already discussed a lot of features of it in the above sections. But, some that are left are here:

Compatibility with Devices

Khan Academy Kids is available for free for everyone. It is compatible with various devices such as iPad, Android, iPhone, iPad touch and Kindle Fire. So, it is easily accessible too.

Inclusion of Diverse Learners

Khan Academy has included diverse learners who have different learning capabilities. It accommodates various learning styles and considers prior students’ knowledge. The educational researcher Allen states that “the quantity and type of scaffold to aid learning, and the level of difficulty, can all be adjusted automatically on the learner's response.” This repeated exposure to the written or spoken instructions helped Autism Spectrum Disorder kids. This app also has high-engagement features like games and videos that are helpful for ADHD and ADD students. The self-paced instructions can help teachers focus on individual students in the classroom rather than focusing on whole-class instructions.

Worked Example Principle

Paas, an educational researcher, states that kids learn better when worked-examples are used. So, Khan Academy kids have used this principle in it. For example, drawing activities have worked examples of other students. Math curriculum also contains a lot of these examples.

Self-Directed Learning

This app will direct students in each step of the activity. But, it lets them do the complex or difficult parts on their own so that they can understand and learn. It knows where kids need help and where they should work independently. It promoted life-long learning or self-directed learning in the classroom.

Books Area

This app has a book area which contains a vast variety of books to develop reading and listening skills in kids. They can either listen to this book loud or they can read it on their own. Some book categories are Spanish stories, dinosaurs, community helpers and women leading the way.

Offline Learning

The activities are available offline too, allowing kids to complete activities without an internet connection. It is beneficial for homeschooling parents who have limited internet access.

Parental Controls

Parents can create accounts to add customizable curricula and activities for their kids. They can personalize the curriculum according to the kid’s needs. It also provides them with additional resources to support their children's learning. Moreover, they can set time limits and track their child’s progress.

Reviews of Khan Academy Kids

Different parents have given positive reviews about this app. Some mentioned that their kids keep playing on this app because they think it is a game. Some say that lessons are structured and according to the age range of their kids.

 A mother of a seven-year-old kid highlights that the app uses words like “oops” and “yay” that are amusing and relevant for her kid. One wished that this app included students above grade 2 too.

A speech-language pathologist said, “My daughter has shown so much growth in her ability to recognize and name letters and sounds.”

Wrap Up

Overall, Khan Academy Kids is an interesting resource that captivates the minds of young learners through an array of activities. The best thing about it is that it is free to use so you can access each activity and resource without spending any money. It provides a student-centered learning approach. That's why it is ideal for homeschooling parents, children and teachers.

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