Today, students and parents find online learning platforms and apps indispensable in fast-paced educational environments. One such highly popular education platform is IXL, famous for its range of interactive lessons and personalized learning paths across many subjects. On the other hand, some of its users have considered the price for IXL’s subscription to be a little steep. In consequence, the majority of the students and parents question: are there free IXL apps similar in features and benefits?
This article explores a few free alternatives to IXL, comparing their features, strengths, and limitations.
What is IXL?
I would like to mention what IXL is before proceeding to alternatives. IXL is an online learning platform that has thousands of skills in math, language arts, science, and social studies. It uses a personalized learning approach, adapting to the individual student’s progress and providing targeted practice. With detailed performance reports and continuous assessments, it helps students learn at their own pace while filling knowledge gaps.
Despite its popularity, the subscription fee can be a barrier for some families. But there are options that offer similar benefits for free or at a much lower cost.
Free Apps Like IXL
There are a variety of free apps and platforms that aim to provide an educational experience similar to IXL. Here are some of the top alternatives:
1. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is one of the most popular free learning platforms. It has a wide range of topics, including math, science, history, and even art. The platform provides video lessons, practice exercises, and assessments, making it a comprehensive alternative to IXL.
Features:
Free with no premium version.
Provides personalized learning paths based on the student’s progress.
Has a broad range of topics, especially in math and science.
Provides progress tracking and reports.
Limitations:
Focus more on video-based learning and practice exercises, which are not as interactive as IXL’s.
Involves less on topics like social studies and language arts.
2. Prodigy Math Game
Prodigy is a very engaging and fun math game targeting students from grade 1 to grade 8. Students practice math problems to unlock levels and advance in the game using a fantasy game format. The basic version of Prodigy is free, though there is a paid version with additional features.
Features:
Free access to the basic version.
Covers math skills from grades 1 to 8.
Fun, game-based approach to learning.
Offers report and progress monitoring for parents and teachers.
Restrictions:
The app is basically math-based, not covering all other subjects, like IXL does.
A few features require a paid subscription.
3. IXL Alternative – SplashLearn
SplashLearn is another strong free alternative suitable for elementary and middle school children. This application is geared more towards early-grade students, up to grade 5, which includes math, reading, and more. This app provides tailored learning with its interactive lessons and games.
Features:
Free access to math and reading lessons for elementary students.
Interactive, game-based learning.
Provides progress reports and customized learning plans.
Parental involvement options to track progress.
Limitations:
It is mainly targeted at early education and may not be suitable for older students.
Limited subjects with only math and reading.
4. Freckle (previously known as Front Row)
Freckle is a well-rounded education resource that uses math, English language arts (ELA), and social studies. Most features are free of charge, while the paid option offers more premium benefits. One of the significant strengths of Freckle is its ability to adjust to a student’s specific level, creating customized practice experiences.
Features include:
It incorporates various subjects: math, ELA, and social studies.
It provides differentiated learning pathways
It tracks students’, teachers’, and parents’ progress.
Free version provides most basic functionalities.
Limitations:
Some premium features are not available unless paid for.
Lack of good content for non-math and ELA topics.
5. Education.com
Education.com offers some free resources to students, ranging from worksheets to interactive games. It is not as comprehensive as IXL but is a very good practice material, especially for elementary school kids.
Features:
Free access to worksheets, games, and activities.
Covers a wide range of topics, including math, language arts, and science.
Printable for use without the internet
Has a very limited amount of premium content.
Limitations
Interactive features are far fewer compared to IXL
Premium content requires a paid subscription.
How Do These Free Apps Compare to IXL?
Although these free apps provide very valuable resources to students, they do differ when compared to IXL.
Personalization: IXL’s strongest point is that they have used an adaptive learning algorithm, tailoring the lessons to fit the child’s progress. There are also applications like Khan Academy and Freckle, which provide some degree of personalization, but perhaps may not fine-tune as good as IXL.
Range of Subjects: IXL is a comprehensive curriculum that spans Pre-K through 12th grade. Most free apps focus on one or two subjects, such as math or reading, and may not offer the full scope of topics as IXL.
Interactive Learning: IXL’s exercises are the most interactive among all free apps. Many other free apps, such as Prodigy and SplashLearn, are game-based, but the learning experience might not be as engaging or interactive as IXL.
FAQs
1. Are these free apps absolutely free?
Yes, most of these apps have free versions, but maybe some will contain in-app purchases or premium features that need a subscription. The basic versions, however, in these apps are absolutely free and contain valuable educational content to users.
2. Can I use all of these apps for multiple subjects?
It really depends on the app. Apps such as Khan Academy and Freckle are rather general, including a wide range of topics, while Prodigy is more math-based. Always check what is offered within the apps before selecting one.
3. Are there similar to IXL, but more focused on middle school and high school levels?
Both Khan Academy and Freckle offer material for middle school and high school. IXL offers full material for those grades, so for older students, it is nice to have free competition alternatives.
4. Do these apps allow me to track my child’s progress?
Most of these applications offer some type of progress tracking. Applications like Freckle, Khan Academy, and Prodigy allow for reports and dashboards showing how well a student is doing in different areas.
Conclusion
Although IXL is an awesome tool for the personalized learning process across a host of subjects, there are lots of free versions that provide virtually the same experience. Khan Academy, Prodigy, SplashLearn, Freckle, and Education.com are just some of the awesome free apps which can offer similar learning benefits free of charge, depending on what your child may need or if they’re looking to concentrate more on certain areas.