Common Sense Media Review
By Polly Conway
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Quality, well-organized math and science lessons.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Based on 22 kid reviews
Kids say the website has a mix of positive and negative attributes; while some users appreciate its reading-based approach and the comprehensive articles, many criticize the quizzes for being unhelpful, confusing, and often disconnected from the lesson content. Frequent frustrations stem from incorrect answers being marked right or wrong, a lack of clear explanations, and an annoying AI tutor that complicates the experience.
- inconsistent quizzes
- unclear questions
- helpful articles
- annoying AI tutor
- reading-based learning
- lacks explanations
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
CK-12 is divided into three sections: Mathematics, Science, and More. Mathematics includes subjects from arithmetic to trigonometry and statistics. Science covers all the bases: biology, chemistry, and physics, as well as life, earth, and physical sciences. The More section offers history, technology, and economics. Within each subject, you can click on a circle to get even more specific; each contains a number of Concepts, which are short, chapter-like lessons. For example, if you click on \"phases of matter\" within the physical science section, you will be given a list of topics that include evaporation, sublimation, and solutions. Within those, you can choose from a series of modalities: read, study aids, video, or web links.
You can bookmark material you'd like to save for later, or you can send it to a classmate by email or social media. Kids can create groups to share content with each other. If you're looking for a very specific topic, enter it into the search box to go straight there.
Is It Any Good?
Material on the site is well organized and very accessible. CK-12 likely will appeal most to kids who are already fairly studious; it doesn't oversimplify ideas. Although it does cover simpler subjects like arithmetic, its presentation might be too advanced for kids of the appropriate age to understand on their own. It's perfect with a parent's help, however.
CK-12 is very committed to reaching kids with all types of learning styles, and the inclusion of video, audio, quizzes, and other tools may open doors for kids who are having trouble in the classroom. The site is essentially transforming a textbook into a multimedia experience, which is very exciting. There's another major bonus: all this content is free! And it's available in nearly 50 languages. Some subjects contain more content than others, but teachers are adding lessons all the time, and the site should continue to grow.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
You can talk with your kids about why it's important that both boys and girls learn about math and science. Explain that people haven't always believed this.
Many animated movies popular with kids feature detailed ecosystems, like A Bug's Life and Ice Age. When your kids watch these movies, point out those worlds and ask them to describe them.
Website Details
- Subjects : Language & Reading : naming , reading , Math : arithmetic , geometry , statistics , Science : engineering , chemistry , ecosystems and the environment , physics , plants , Social Studies : cultural understanding , events , history
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : analyzing evidence , deduction , memorization , Creativity : combining knowledge , Self-Direction : academic development , identifying strengths and weaknesses , work to achieve goals
- Genre : Educational
- Topics : STEM
- Pricing structure : Free
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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