Arcademics

Website review by Erin Brereton, Common Sense Media
Arcademics Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 6+

Get helpful practice with lively math and language games.

https://www.arcademics.com/
Rate website

Parents say

age 6+

Based on 2 reviews

Kids say

age 5+

Based on 2 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this website.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that kids don't have to register for this educational game site; they can play its math, vocabulary, and other-subject-related games for free without logging in. Multiplayer games can be made private with a password so kids only face off against users they know. They create temporary user IDs before playing a game, and the IDs aren't saved in the system. Arcademic ("arcade" plus "academic" -- get it?) Skill Builder's games are appropriate for a variety of ages; preschoolers can learn shapes while their siblings figure out decimals. Under the CCPA law you have the right to protect your personal information. Make a Do Not Sell request to arcademics.

Community Reviews

caramel00
caramel00 Adult
June 18, 2020
age 6+

Review from a Math Teacher

I'm a math teacher so I can only speak on the math section. We used this to warm up the kids during remote learning. We created private games so only our class would have access to the games we were playing. I love it because it's both fun and educational. I also liked the fact that since you don't have to enter a student roster, there's no need to worry about security concerns. The competition aspect encourages kids to do better, and may even inspire them to practice on their own. Especially if real prizes are involved. One thing I didn't like is that some of the games only allow 4 players. I wish there were more 12 player games available. The ability to host a game without actually having to join in would be nice as well. We played these games for over 3 months, and I didn't notice any glitches. We'll be playing these games on our iPads even when we are able to go back into the classroom.
Diane Sampson
Diane Sampson Adult
March 5, 2015
age 6+

Competitive platform for learning fun!

Race cars and tugboats, Koalas and Penguins! Wide variety of learning games that help with Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division facts, capital cities, decimals, fractions and vowel combinations, too. Many games have the ability to play with others in your class or individually. This site really helps my third graders stay focused on learning.
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

ARCADEMIC SKILL BUILDERS is a website featuring games that can help first through sixth graders practice math, language arts, and critical-thinking skills. More than 55 games are grouped into more than 15 subject areas, ranging from shapes to algebra and geography. Each is labeled with the skills kids will utilize and the number of players. Games are listed by grade, and kids can choose their desired difficulty level. Kids get immediate, detailed feedback after each game, including correct answers to any questions they missed, an accuracy score, and a per-minute response rate to help them improve their performance on future tries.

Game themes vary and star aliens, octopi, kittens, and Jet Skis depending on which game kids are playing. For example, in Dolphin Dash, kids add coins correctly to make a dolphin win a race. Capital Penguin helps kids learn state capitals. Most games include thorough instructions. Kids can customize the game speed and difficulty level; they also can see correct and missed answers and other performance data after playing.

Is It Any Good?

The fun, fast games on Arcademic Skill Builders are a clever way to get kids interested in math, English, and geography. The graphics are nothing to write home about, but they're charming enough, and the design is simple for kids to navigate. The site's games effectively reinforce key skills such as addition and subtraction, and kids should enjoy competing against other players from all over the world.

Arcademic Skill Builders also deserves some kudos for its safety precautions. Kids can play the games without entering anything but a temporary username that isn't saved in the system. If their teacher has an account, kids' performance can be tracked -- but they can still safely play multiplayer games without any concern that other users will try to contact them.

An educator-oriented paid version of the site, Arcademics Plus, has a number of extras to help kids learn more, including lessons on items they missed and the ability to save and monitor game performance. The free version doesn't offer the same tracking capabilities –- kids will need to print out their stats to gauge progress. But they'll still get plenty of critical thinking and skills practice, which is valuable even if they don't create a system to chart their improvement.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about which games your child found most helpful. Which helped your child understand math better? Did any games help your child learn new words or concepts?

  • Site games are timed, so kids are working against the clock. Ask your child which is more important: doing something quickly or doing it well? Talk about balancing time and accuracy when taking a test or performing a task.

  • Kids see the answers at the end of each game. Which questions did your child think were confusing or hard? Ask why; discuss your child's line of reasoning; and explain the answers to any questions your child missed.

Website Details

  • Subjects: Language & Reading: letter or word recognition, spelling, vocabulary, Math: addition, counting, division, fractions, money, multiplication, ratio, shapes, subtraction, Social Studies: geography
  • Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: applying information, solving puzzles, thinking critically, Self-Direction: academic development, personal growth
  • Genre: Educational
  • Pricing structure: Free (basic version is free)
  • Last updated: May 14, 2020

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