Weekly Reflection Post #6 – Math Gamification

by daleencreally · October 29, 2025

This week we explored the world of gamification! I’m pretty sure this word was not in the dictionary when I was in elementary school.

gam·i·fi·ca·tion ˌgā-mə-fə-ˈkā-shən

: the process of adding games or gamelike elements to something (such as a task) so as to encourage participation

One of the games that we looked at was Prodigy math games. We were asked to log in and play around for a while. I think I spent about 15 or 20 minutes in the program and in that time I answered two math questions, which were barely math questions. One was to identify a rectangle and the other a parallelogram. Most of the time was spent reading the screen and maneuvering a little avatar around. I barely got to the actual world map of the game before I exited it. I wasn’t impressed. I have seen this program used in schools, and I don’t remember it being like this, so perhaps I was just in the introductory phase and it was actually going to get to the math part soon. I don’t know.

I think there are other math apps and websites that are better. Here are some of the ones that I’ve seen used in classrooms or have used with my own kids when they were learning at home.

Math Seeds

PROS AND CONS for Math Seeds

Engaging and fun
Adapts to individual needs and abilities
Comprehensive coverage of topics
Easy to use
Lots of games
Offers a placement test for students
Parents can check on child’s progress
Uses rewards and celebrations
Multi-sensory
Canadian

Limited age range of 3-9 years old
Subscription based website (might be available through school districts or home learning)
Limited hands-on approach
Recommends a workbook to supplement learning

IXL Math

PROS AND CONS for IXL Math

Adapts to child’s abilities and learning level
Self-paced and tracks progress
Pre-K – Grade 12 topics
Teachers get immediate stats on learning progress
Teacher support
Student earn points and rewards for completing levels / topics
Has more than just math
Has included province-specific curricular goals

Some reported usability issues
Repetitive questions
Drilling provides lack of real-world scenarios
Points are taken away for wrong answers, which can feel punitive for students
Might need to supplement in certain content areas
Subscription needed for more than 10 questions a day
No lesson plans available

Adapted Mind

PROS AND CONS Adapted Mind Math

Customized Learning Plans
Teaching snipets if you get a wrong answer
Pre-K – Grade 8 content
Engaging games and activities
Progress tracking
Colourful monsters are the characters

Subscription based
Technology glitches reported by users
Colourful monsters might scare some kids
Not Canadian

Matific

PROS AND CONS Matific

Engaging and fun activities
Adapts to child’s abilities and learning level
Accessible on a variety of different devices
Parents and teachers have access
Progress reports available
Content for K to Grade 6
Canadian content

Reported bugs and glitches
No content for middle or high school
Subscription based
Some reported that the cost was high

So many options…

There are so many great online learning options for math. I would say some of the biggest considerations for classroom teachers and families are that the program has Canadian curriculum connections and that it is affordable and accessible for everyone on the devices that you have at your disposable. Here are some resources to look into that have some great ideas about gamification in the classroom. I am also sharing the TED Talk that we viewed in class. I really appreciated the speakers viewpoint about how we can make something “mundaine” into something fun by making it into a game. I think this applies to topics other than math. Kids learning when they play, and games definitely fall into the game category!

5 Ways Gamification Benefits Teachers and Students | Reflex

Gamification in Education: How It Enhances Student Learning – Immerse Education