As We Bloom: A Review of K5 Learning

Sometimes kids need something new and fun to do for school, whether that's because of summer break, falling behind, or needing to supplement. K5 Learning came at a perfect time for us, my 3rd grader got to use their online program because she had finished her math book a month before school was out for summer!

K5 Learning provides reading, math, and spelling instruction for children from kindergarten to 5th grade. It is not a full curriculum, but it is a supplemental program to help fill in when needed. Subscriptions are available on a monthly or annual basis. Four can access the account, each using their own login. My kindergartner has also been using K5 Learning when she has some spare time.

It offers reading and math assessments to ensure your child is working on what they need to learn. The lessons and activities are all online, and some lessons have printable worksheets to reinforce and practice the concepts being taught. Your children can complete the assessments and start using the lessons during the 14 day trial period!

How we used K5 Learning:

The first thing I did was have my girls take the math and reading assessments. I had a little hiccup when I created the account and did the assessments, but K5's customer service was quick and helpful about getting that resolved. The assessments were frustrating for my kindergartner, there was a wide range of topics covered, some which were well above her level, but that does make sense for an assessment. We also discovered that the website only works on a computer. It does not work on a tablet. This was difficult for her too because pointing a mouse, holding it still, and clicking on an answer are hard things to do all at once when hands are tiny.

From the kindergarten assessment

Once the assessments were done, the girls were able to do math or reading lessons at the level they were placed in. Both were above their grade. If you disagree with the placement, you can contact K5 Learning through your account and they will change the level your child is on.

The Lessons:

E, who had finished her 3rd grade math book well before school was done, has been using this 5 days a week. She has mostly used the math portion. K5's lessons are already set up in a logical way for children to progress through. But if your child needs to re-do a lesson, or perhaps do a lesson that is specific to a certain subject they are studying, or you just want them to focus on a specific topic, you can assign lessons through the "Create Assignment" link. When you use this tool you can also see the length of each lesson, what benchmarks it covers, and the specific portions of each lesson. For instance, Decimals - Compare and Order for third grade has a 5 min. 15 sec. tutorial, a 3 min. 34 sec. practice session, and a 3 min. 20 sec. graded assessment.

Kindergarten math

The lessons are all animations, with plenty of auditory feedback. The instructions are spoken to the child, and they can be repeated when needed. After the child chooses an answer, there is a positive message for a correct answer, or a "try again" sort of phrase for an incorrect answer. My 3rd grader enjoyed all of this talking, but my kindergartner found it annoying. She would even get upset at the computer. I guess there is a limit to how much auditory input an auditory learner can handle!

3rd grade math

If the child does not understand the lesson, it is often repeated. My 3rd grader did not understand this and was confused at why she was doing the same thing over again. I asked if she got some problems wrong. When she said yes, I explained that the website could tell that, and it was teaching her again so she would learn it, and to ask me if she was confused and needed help.

The reports in the parent section of the account are helpful, I can tell exactly where my child needs some additional practice or help.

My 3rd grader has done a couple of reading lessons, but has found them all to be too easy. The reading portion teaches phonemic awareness, phonics, sight words, comprehension, and vocabulary. The math portion covers topics such as numbers and operations, measurement, and geometry. My kindergartner has done more reading lessons than her sister, and the reading and math seems a bit easy for her. But she enjoys using K5, and she's getting better at using a mouse!

Spelling:

Spelling

The spelling portion is a little different, I was able to enter my 3rd graders spelling words and she practiced them online! The website told her a word, the definition, and used it in a sentence. She had to type in the correct spelling of the word. The example sentences I saw were neat, a quote from Abraham Lincoln, and one from Leo Tolstoy...though the comprehension level of that quote was probably above a 3rd grader's understanding!


Spelling

The Worksheets:

3rd grade math worksheet

Some of the lessons will have worksheets that show up after it is completed, and can be printed for additional practice. This way the child is not doing all of their work online. The worksheets come with an answer page so you can have older children check their own work.

Kindergarten sight word worksheet

Overall, this website is a fun way to practice or reinforce concepts the child may need help with. I am glad my 3rd grader was able to use it and not let any knowledge slip away after completing her curriculum. It will provide a good learning tool over the summer. If my little auditory kindergartner wants to use it, then it will be good reinforcement for her. I asked the girls what they thought of K5 Learning.

E (3rd grade): Even though it's math, it's like math made fun. You get to buy things for a person and they are all cool things, but before you get to buy them you have to work out a problem. Sometimes you have to pick one of the answers and you have to pick the correct one.

N (kindergarten): It's helping me learn math and reading better, and it's fun.