Review by Mieke VanderBorght, Common Sense Education | Updated February 2015
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TopIQ Math, Reading & Writing Learning Program for Kids in Preschool, Kindergarten & 1st Grade

Get it now
  • Download on Google Play
  • Download from App Store

Skills-based games teach effectively and grow with kids

Subjects & skills
Subjects
  • English Language Arts
  • Math
Skills
N/A
Grades This grade range is a recommendation by Common Sense Education and not the developer/publisher.
Pre-K–1
Common Sense says (See details)
Teachers say (1 Review)
Price:  Free to Try, Paid
Platforms:  Android, iPad

Take a look inside

5 images
First download content, then earn enough stars to unlock books and games in a variety of math and language topics.
Match letter names and sounds in this classic memory game – but pay attention because those birds move around!
Experiment with properties of weight balance while building a tower tall enough to reach the star.
One game features a kid-friendly introduction to division.
With the higher subscription levels, grown-ups can see very detailed progress reports.

Pros: Tons of solid, age-appropriate learning content, and the challenge level grows with each kid's progress.

Cons: Subscription plans carry a hefty price tag; some games' learning approach is confusing.

Bottom Line: The learning content and personalized leveling system could make it worth a try.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

TopIQ is best suited for individual play. Teachers can set up accounts for every student and then send them off to play games and practice skills. As new games unlock, kids will need access to an Internet connection to download them, or teachers can download all the games ahead of time. Be aware, though: With so much content, it's easy for kids to get caught up in wanting to keep playing. Set clear time limits. Teachers get detailed progress reports, which can help point their classroom instruction in the right direction. They can also pick and choose which topics will show up for kids. Turn off the ones that are not relevant for each student. While not ideally suited to the task, TopIQ could be used as an assessment tool or comprehension check. 

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Standards:

TopIQ used to be Agnitus Personal Learning Program but got a new name and a bit of a makeover. In the new version, kids forge a personalized path through a collection of games, videos, books, and songs. Topics focus mostly on early math and literacy (topics include counting, tracing letters, patterns, and letter recognition) but also touch on a few general themes like personal hygiene and career options. Activities need to be downloaded, and then they are grayed out until kids earn enough stars to unlock them. As kids progress, the material also gets more challenging to meet kids at just the right level. In addition to unlocking new games, kids also earn awards for completing games and mastering content. Grown-ups can see very detailed progress reports, which describe what kids are playing, point out strengths and weaknesses, and provide general information about the curriculum and individual games. 

With lots of well-designed games, kids get great practice and opportunites for skill building. It's nice that kids start out with some basic games before they can move on to more challenging material, but the path feels a bit overly restrictive. Quick learners are forced to slog through really basic content before they're allowed access to other games. It would also be nice to have more control over the path kids take through the content. There's nice in-game support for kids who are having trouble choosing the right answer, thought there are a few games that either are poorly explained or present information without enough context; for example, the purpose of a counting game with different types of food might be confusing to some kids. Detailed progress reports provide teachers and parents with valuable information about how and what kids are learning.

Overall Rating
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

The games are fun, and the overall design is very kid-friendly. With so many games and constantly advancing levels, kids are likely to stay interested.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

There's solid learning content within most games. Learning happens mostly through trial and error. Kids follow a personalized learning path, and difficulty grows to target learning. 

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

There's some in-activity support for kids looking for the right answer. Kids track their progress with a growing number of stars, and grown-ups can see very detailed progress reports.

Common Sense Reviewer
Mieke VanderBorght Researcher
About our ratings and privacy evaluation.

Key Standards Supported

Counting And Cardinality

  • K.CC.4

    Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.

  • K.CC.2

    Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of having to begin at 1).

Geometry

  • 1.G.1

    Distinguish between defining attributes (e.g., triangles are closed and three-sided) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall size); build and draw shapes to possess defining attributes.

  • K.G.2

    Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.

Operations And Algebraic Thinking

  • K.OA.1

    Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings2, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.

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Key Standards Supported

Reading Foundational Skills

  • RF.K.3a

    Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sound for each consonant.

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Teacher Reviews

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Featured review by
Tracey W. , Media specialist/librarian
Media specialist/librarian
P.S. Is 54
Bronx, United States
Fostering Early Literacy
This product is a great way to promote early literacy skills as the teacher leads guided reading groups. TopIQ has two different levels for students. Children have the choice of working at the pre-K or kindergarten level. The math programs have balance, symmetry, numbers, counting, object based division, tracing number, recognizing quantity and much more. The literacy sections have writing, reading, games, songs, poems and fun activities to entice early readers into learning letters, words and ...
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