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Making sense of the many math intervention products are on the market today could be a math exercise in itself. This week, Kelly Schaefer, a K-12 math coach for Riverdale Schools in Wisconsin, helps us break down one more: Matific. 

The Claim: This K-6 math supplement can be used for both enrichment and intervention purposes, which can serve as a primer or refresher on basic math concepts. Divided into a series of games and activities, the tool encourages students to try different ways of solving a given problem, and even to make mistakes as they figure out what works and what doesn’t. 

The Consensus: Schaefer calls the program easy to individualize for students and simple to navigate. “The students are enthusiastic about it, as the game format challenges them to move through short episodes to earn stars and ‘monster’ cards’” (aka, rewards), she says. “The program also promotes a growth mindset about mathematics for students as it gently prods them to try again.”

The Cons: “Although the drawbacks are few, updates can sometimes slow a teacher down for just a bit,” Schaefer says. The program is also updated pretty frequently to add new features, meaning things can look a bit different from the last time you saw it.

The Cost: About $10 per student annually.