Prodigy Math Game Review

Entering my fourth year of teaching, I have been able to get a firm grasp on different elements that my students are interested in. One thing I know for sure that has high interest for kids is gaming. Even better if it is with friends. I was first introduced to Prodigy my first year of teaching. At the time, it looked like just a game, so I used it more as a reward for my students if they finished all their work. The following summer I really explored it, and what I found really changed how I use this game.

First of all, Prodigy is an adaptive math-practice game set in a fantasy role-playing universe, students customize colorful, anime-style avatars and send them off to the Wizard Academy to prepare for battle. Students' characters travel the world; they chat with other wizards through a series of pre-written chat comments, challenge friends to fight in the arena, and brave multiple themed worlds to take on monsters and special bosses. Wizard spells are powered by math problems. As students progress in their math skills, so do their characters, learning new spells to use against enemies. Prodigy does a great job of both entertaining students and providing them with valuable math lessons. Educators and students can also sign up for Free!

Prodigy is a great tool to motivate students to practice their math skills. The website is easy to use for educators, and simple to set up a class with. Once students are set up they begin playing, using the tutorial as a sort of placement test to see what grade level they are on. Students answer math questions to use their attacks within the game. If a teacher left the levelings alone, students would be given harder math as they level up. However, this is what I was really excited about. Teachers can assign common core or math skills specific content to their class. Student can actually practice skills they are currently learning while they are playing. Prodigy can also be a great additional data collector! The game generates reports for the teacher for each student, and teachers can see which questions they answered right or wrong, as well as what overall skill they have deficits in. As they were playing Prodigy I was looking at reports and finding gaps or weaknesses that I needed to address. Students stay motivated through it because there is so much to the game. Students were completing hundreds of math problems a week and did not realize it. Parents can be connected to student accounts as well and can have students practice at home. I highly recommend Prodigy as a classroom safe tool, and I think it compliments various elements of having a twenty-first-century classroom.