Parent Prize Portal

All articles

Every guide in the Math Prizes resource hub, newest first. Page 3 of 16.

Pattern and Logic Games That Grow Real Math Thinking

Pattern and Logic Games That Grow Real Math Thinking

Math isn't just facts. It's noticing patterns and reasoning to an answer. These logic games for kids build that muscle, and every one of them feels like play.

Sarah Bennett · May 1, 2026 · 5 min read
Can Kids Learn Math From an App? What the Screen Can and Can't Do

Can Kids Learn Math From an App? What the Screen Can and Can't Do

An app can drill facts and free up your evening, but it can't hear the confusion in your kid's voice. Here's what the screen does well and where it falls flat.

Sarah Bennett · April 29, 2026 · 5 min read
How We Handle Screen Time With Two Kids and One Tablet

How We Handle Screen Time With Two Kids and One Tablet

One tablet, two kids, endless arguments about whose turn it is. Here's the system we landed on for sharing screen time that finally cut the daily fights.

Sarah Bennett · April 28, 2026 · 5 min read
Adding and Subtracting Fractions Without the Tears

Adding and Subtracting Fractions Without the Tears

The pizza trick that makes fractions click, plus the one rule kids skip that causes most of the tears. A plain guide to adding and subtracting fractions.

Sarah Bennett · April 27, 2026 · 5 min read
Should You Practice Math Facts Over Summer? A Teacher's Honest Answer

Should You Practice Math Facts Over Summer? A Teacher's Honest Answer

Yes, but not the way you're picturing. Here's the honest answer on summer math fact practice, from a teacher who sees what happens in September.

Sarah Bennett · April 26, 2026 · 4 min read
Teaching Your Anxious Kid To Talk Back to the 'I'm Dumb' Voice

Teaching Your Anxious Kid To Talk Back to the 'I'm Dumb' Voice

When your kid says 'I'm dumb' over a math problem, they believe it. Here's how to teach an anxious child to answer that voice instead of obeying it.

Sarah Bennett · April 25, 2026 · 5 min read
Catching Struggles Early: What Practice Data Can (and Can't) Tell You

Catching Struggles Early: What Practice Data Can (and Can't) Tell You

App dashboards promise to show you how your kid is doing. Here's what those numbers actually catch, what they miss, and how to read them like the person who built them.

Logan Moore · April 24, 2026 · 5 min read
The Hardware Question: Tablet, Phone, or Laptop for Home Math Practice

The Hardware Question: Tablet, Phone, or Laptop for Home Math Practice

Tablet, phone, or laptop for home math practice? A developer breaks down what each device actually does well, and the one most families already own.

Logan Moore · April 22, 2026 · 4 min read
Setting a Screen-Time-Sane Summer Math Routine on the Tablet

Setting a Screen-Time-Sane Summer Math Routine on the Tablet

You want the tablet to keep math sharp over summer without becoming an all-day habit. Here's a short, sane routine that does the first without triggering the second.

Logan Moore · April 21, 2026 · 5 min read
What a Solid Foundation Looks Like Before Multiplication Begins

What a Solid Foundation Looks Like Before Multiplication Begins

Before a kid can truly learn multiplication, a few quieter skills have to be in place. Here's what a teacher watches for, and how to build them at home.

Sarah Bennett · April 20, 2026 · 5 min read
Car-Ride Math: Turning Dead Time Into Daily Practice

Car-Ride Math: Turning Dead Time Into Daily Practice

The school run is fifteen quiet minutes twice a day. Here's how to turn that dead time into real math practice your kid won't even notice.

Sarah Bennett · April 19, 2026 · 5 min read
Should You Let Your Kid Use a Calculator or Photo-Solver on Homework?

Should You Let Your Kid Use a Calculator or Photo-Solver on Homework?

When a calculator actually helps a kid learn, when a photo-solver quietly does the opposite, and how to tell which one is sitting on your kitchen table.

Logan Moore · April 18, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Keep Math Motivation Alive Over Summer Break

How to Keep Math Motivation Alive Over Summer Break

How to keep math from dying over summer break without turning July into a worksheet slog your kid will fight you on every single day.

Sarah Bennett · April 17, 2026 · 5 min read
Word Problem Games That Take the Fear Out of Story Math

Word Problem Games That Take the Fear Out of Story Math

The reason kids freeze on story math, and the low-pressure word problem games that get them reading, drawing, and solving without the panic.

Sarah Bennett · April 16, 2026 · 5 min read
What a Good Parent Dashboard Should Show You (Most Don't)

What a Good Parent Dashboard Should Show You (Most Don't)

Most parent dashboards in learning apps count minutes and stars, not learning. Here is what a good parent dashboard should show, from someone who builds them.

Logan Moore · April 14, 2026 · 5 min read
Does Screen Time Really Hurt Reading? What Actually Moves the Needle

Does Screen Time Really Hurt Reading? What Actually Moves the Needle

The link between screen time and reading is messier than the headlines suggest. Here is what the research actually shows, and the handful of habits that matter.

Sarah Bennett · April 13, 2026 · 5 min read
The Area Model: Why Your Kid Multiplies With Boxes Now

The Area Model: Why Your Kid Multiplies With Boxes Now

Your kid multiplies 23 times 47 by drawing a grid of boxes, and you have no idea why. Here is what the area model teaches and how to help at home.

Sarah Bennett · April 12, 2026 · 5 min read
Subtraction Across Zeros: The Fact-Fluency Gap Nobody Talks About

Subtraction Across Zeros: The Fact-Fluency Gap Nobody Talks About

A kid who knows every subtraction fact can still freeze at 1000 minus 486. Here is why zeros break borrowing, and how I teach it so it finally sticks.

Sarah Bennett · April 11, 2026 · 5 min read
Homework Shutdown: Reading the Anxiety Behind 'I Won't Do It'

Homework Shutdown: Reading the Anxiety Behind 'I Won't Do It'

When a kid throws the pencil and says 'I won't do it,' that is usually fear talking, not defiance. Here is how to tell the difference and what to do next.

Sarah Bennett · April 10, 2026 · 6 min read
How To Spot Mindless Grinding in a Math App (and What Real Practice Looks Like)

How To Spot Mindless Grinding in a Math App (and What Real Practice Looks Like)

Your kid did 200 problems and learned nothing. Here is how to spot the difference between mindless grinding and the kind of repetition that actually builds skill.

Logan Moore · April 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Does Speed Matter? Judging Timed Practice Features in Math Apps

Does Speed Matter? Judging Timed Practice Features in Math Apps

Every math app slaps a timer on the screen. Some clocks build fluency and some just add pressure. Here is how to tell which one you are looking at.

Logan Moore · April 7, 2026 · 5 min read
Vacation Budget Math: Let Your Kid Help Plan the Trip

Vacation Budget Math: Let Your Kid Help Plan the Trip

Hand your child a slice of the vacation budget and watch fractions, subtraction, and decisions get real. Here is how to do it without ruining the trip.

Sarah Bennett · April 6, 2026 · 6 min read
Is My First Grader Ahead or Just an Early Reader of Numbers?

Is My First Grader Ahead or Just an Early Reader of Numbers?

A kid who rattles off numbers fast looks advanced. A teacher explains the difference between quick recall and real understanding, and how to check which one you've got.

Sarah Bennett · April 5, 2026 · 5 min read
What Makes a Good Math Practice App (From Someone Who Builds Them)

What Makes a Good Math Practice App (From Someone Who Builds Them)

The features that sell a math app in the store are rarely the ones that teach. Here's what actually matters, from someone who spends his days building one.

Logan Moore · April 4, 2026 · 5 min read
← NewerOlder →