Adapted Mind: The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

I recently stumbled across the best thing invented since sliced bread: it's a website called Adapted Mind (adaptedmind.com). Adapted Mind is a program that was created in 2013 by a group of graduate students from Harvard, Stanford, and Berkeley, in an attempt to instill in students a love for reading and math. And I'd say that is exactly what they did, because I'm twenty and even I enjoy it!

This program is basically a tutorial and instructional gaming site all in one. It combines great gaming graphics with a wide range of skill levels to engage students in a fun way of learning. Students can easily get on the website, which is completely ad free, and select a Common Core aligned, specified content lesson (such as money, fractions, vocabulary, fluency, etc.) in either math or reading. It includes easy to follow instructions and it even gives the student the option of listening to directions read aloud. As the student plays, the program branches as the student gets better and learns more. Adapted Mind is easy to navigate, enter, and exit and is appropriate for all ages, and not to mention a great resource for teachers!

This program is great because students can always pick up where they left off. It also provides an ongoing assessment, keeping tabs on what the student has mastered and what they have not. It even motivates students by using incentives. So, for every question the student answers correctly, five virtual coins are given to the player to spend on their avatar, which in this case is the monster pictured above. What I really enjoy about this program is if the student answers the question incorrectly, they can watch a tutorial filmed by a real life teacher explaining the correct answer. And if that's not enough, it also includes free worksheets for students to use offline. It accommodates first through sixth grade reading students and first through eighth grade math students and it allows them to play up to three levels for FREE in each content area! Or, for just $195 per year, teachers can regularly use this program in their classrooms: this price includes a free monthly trial so the teacher can make sure that this program will work for their students and it allows the teacher to add up to 35 students on a single account. By buying into this software, teachers can frequently monitor their students' progress, access their grades, customize a unique learning plan for each student based on pretests and receive unlimited practice! Over 60% of United States School Districts have invested in this software for teachers to use in their classrooms. I plan on using Adapted Mind in my classroom as well, (whether it be 1^st- 6^th/8th) by using it as a remediation service for my reading and math students through a direct model. I also plan on using this program as an assessment strategy to see what my students know and don’t know and help them remedially in subject areas in which they are struggling.

I could not dote on this program enough. It is truly wonderful and I think it has great potential in helping students in reading and math. Make sure to check out Adapted Mind to see how you could use it in your classroom. I was highly impressed, and I hope you are too!

Make sure to leave me any questions, comments or concerns down below! 

I’m Interested in hearing your opinions about Adapted Mind.

You can find more information about Adapted Mind here: Adapted Mind

Addison Foster