My Take
Honestly, Prodigy is awesome. I love everything about the program itself. The data that it gives me on the backend is so valuable as a teacher. My students love Prodigy, and it never feels like they are fighting me on doing it. I also really appreciate the staff at Prodigy. Every time I have had a question, comment, or concern, I have been treated with such respect and decorum. I feel as though the staff really cares about my students' learning, as well. They have supported math competitions at my school site, which is really exciting for students. Keep it up, Prodigy! You rock!
How I Use It
Prodigy is by far my favorite math supplemental tool in my classroom. Not only do the kids love it, but they are learning while having fun! I literally have students who have been playing for over a year, are at the maximum level, and STILL are excited to play every day- it's that good. I use Prodigy as a small group math center, as well as an early finisher choice (most students always pick Prodigy as their choice!). My favorite part about Prodigy is their planning tool feature. I can select certain problem sets for students to complete, either by standard or by concept. It's really cool! I just finished teaching clocks to my first graders, and they were amazed when all of their Prodigy questions suddenly turned to clocks! I also really appreciate the ability to select certain concept types to specific children, allowing me to customize their learning (I.e.., I might give the majority of my students addition problems within 20, which is the standard, but then I can give my advanced students who need a challenge addition problems within 100, and give my struggling learners within 10 so they can have more practice with the basics before moving on). I have noticed that my students are much more excited about doing their math work because Prodigy has given them the confidence to take risks and do the math. My students are also so much more successful in problem solving, as well. Prodigy gives them hints as to how to solve problems, but it won't flat out tell them answers. This allows my students to struggle through the learning themselves, making the long term learning much more meaningful. I LOVE Prodigy!