Khan Academy
Who it fits
Self-motivated kids who learn from video, and families who want a free option either as a full spine or as backup explanations alongside another program. Families who need heavy practice, built-in review, or a done-for-you daily plan should look at a spine like Teaching Textbooks or Math Mammoth and lean on Khan for the videos.
How it scores
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How demanding the material is versus grade level. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
- 1gentle, below grade
- 2relaxed
- 3on grade
- 4demanding
- 5advanced
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How much the parent is present and teaching. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
- 1hands-off
- 2light
- 3shared
- 4leading
- 5parent-taught
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How much the parent prepares before a lesson. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
- 1open-and-go
- 2minimal
- 3moderate
- 4involved
- 5heavy
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How much daily work is on a device. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
- 1fully offline
- 2mostly offline
- 3blended
- 4mostly digital
- 5fully digital
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How much the child can do alone. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
- 1adult-led
- 2guided
- 3semi-independent
- 4mostly independent
- 5fully independent
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How long a daily lesson takes the child. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
- 1under 15 min
- 215 to 25 min
- 325 to 40 min
- 440 to 60 min
- 560+ min
At a glance
What parents consistently praise
- It is completely free
- Videos are short and clear
- Great for catching up or filling gaps
- Bright kids can race ahead
- Sequence runs all the way to calculus
What parents report as challenges
- Light on practice and review
- No built-in schedule or pacing
- Early grades move too fast for K-1
- Some kids do not retain without more repetition
How it shifts by grade
Khan Academy Kids (ages 2-8) is the free early-grades app. The K-8 grade courses work well from about 3rd up, and the 8th-grade course reaches into Algebra 1 and high school geometry.
Additional notes
Two real camps here. Some owners run Khan as their whole spine and love the price; others use it as a supplement for a second explanation when the main curriculum is not clicking. Either way the trade-off is thin practice and no pacing, so a parent still has to steer it.
Cost
| Price | Free |
| Consumable | No |
| Per child / year | $0 |
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Compare head to head
Descriptions aggregate what homeschool parents consistently report across public community sources (forums, Facebook groups, Reddit, and long-form reviews) together with the publisher's own materials. Prices and editions change over time.
Used Khan Academy yourself, or think something here is wrong? Send us a correction.