Khan Academy

Khan Academy has earned widespread recognition among homeschooling families and parents seeking educational support for their children. From its free flagship platform to specialized offerings like Khan Academy Kids and Khanmigo AI, here's what parents are saying about this popular learning resource:

What Parents Value Most

The cost-free nature of Khan Academy consistently ranks as one of its greatest strengths. Many parents express gratitude for having access to high-quality educational content without financial burden:

"The courses are very easy to navigate and offer excellent content for free." Cathy Duffy Reviews

For homeschooling families, Khan Academy often serves as an invaluable supplement to their primary curriculum:

"We use Saxon as our primary math curriculum, and use Khan Academy as a supplement when the explanations in the text and from me just aren't cutting it." Homeschool parent on Reddit

Some parents have even used Khan Academy for their own educational refreshment:

"I used it to completely relearn math... I went from having a terrible, almost nonexistent math education to being pretty darn good at math." Homeschool parent on Reddit

Khan Academy Kids receives particularly enthusiastic feedback for its ability to engage young learners:

"Khan Academy Kids is the best educational kids app I have found for my kiddos. The lessons are fun and engage my kids, making it exciting to learn... The app is very intuitive to use and easy for my kids." App Store review

"Our preschooler willingly selects Khan Academy when we give him screen time. He actually stays engaged for long periods of time and has fun doing it." App Store review

Parents appreciate Khan Academy's self-paced structure, which allows children to progress according to their own understanding rather than an arbitrary timeline:

"They go at their own pace and advance to the next subject after mastering the first... [Khan Academy Kids] gently nudges them if they get something incorrect." Parent of a 7-year-old

The platform's safety and ad-free environment offers parents peace of mind:

"100% FREE! No ads. No subscriptions." Khan Academy Kids App Store description

Many families discovered Khan Academy during the COVID-19 pandemic and continued using it afterward:

"Our school district listed Khan Academy as a resource... We used it in addition to her other school work. If you have a child that needs a little something to stay engaged, get this app... Khan Academy is a perfect fit for us." Parent of 7-year-old and 4-year-old

Common Limitations

Despite its many strengths, parents note several areas where Khan Academy may fall short of being a comprehensive solution:

Many homeschooling families find that Khan Academy works best as a supplement rather than a complete curriculum, particularly for certain subjects:

"The Reading & Language Arts section is the weakest area of coverage among the core subjects." Cathy Duffy Reviews

Some parents note that certain courses don't provide enough practice for concept mastery:

"We use it as a supplement... I find Khan doesn't have enough repetition for my son to retain concepts, but it's good." Well-Trained Mind Forums

"In second grade math, it only has 4 units and maybe 15 minutes worth of problems in each. This means all of second grade math can be covered within an hour or two... I don't really think it should be relied upon as a core [curriculum]." Reddit user

Some educators have raised concerns about oversimplification in certain subjects:

"I don't like it. It overly simplifies [content] without saying it's simplified. This leads students to get wrong answers because they are following what Khan Academy taught them blindly when it no longer applies." Math teacher on Reddit

The platform's self-paced nature can be both a strength and a weakness, requiring parental oversight to ensure consistent progress:

"One thing lacking is directions for the student as to how much lesson material they should complete in one day." Cathy Duffy Reviews

Some parents express concern about screen time, especially for younger children:

"My kids don't like doing it every day, so we use it intermittently." Well-Trained Mind Forums

The newer Khanmigo AI tutor has shown promise but still has limitations:

"[Khanmigo] would sometimes, albeit infrequently, amplify or reinforce gender biases and stereotypes." Common Sense Media review

Who Thrives with Khan Academy?

Based on parent feedback, Khan Academy works particularly well for:

• Self-motivated learners who can work independently
• Visual learners who benefit from video instruction
• Students who need to strengthen specific skills or fill knowledge gaps
• Families seeking flexible, low-cost educational resources
• Young children needing engaging educational screen time (Khan Academy Kids)
• Parents wanting to track their child's progress with detailed analytics

Students may need additional support if they:

• Require extensive practice to master concepts
• Need hands-on learning experiences (like science labs)
• Struggle with self-pacing or maintaining focus
• Benefit from discussion-based learning
• Need comprehensive writing instruction

Making Khan Academy Work For Your Family

Many families find success with Khan Academy by:

• Using it as a supplement to other curricula rather than as a standalone program
• Setting specific goals or schedules for completion
• Regularly checking the parent dashboard to monitor progress
• Limiting screen time to maintain engagement
• Adding hands-on activities to complement the digital learning
• Discussing concepts from videos to ensure comprehension

As one parent summarized about Khan Academy Kids: "Download this without hesitation for your child. You won't regret it." This sentiment reflects the widespread appreciation for Khan Academy's resources, even as parents recognize the need to thoughtfully integrate them into a balanced educational approach.