I have two children (DD10 and DS8) who have been identified as gifted. They took IQ tests during identification process but the school did not share the results with me so I don't know where they stand in the spectrum. However, I don't exactly call them gifted, I call them smart kids. Their gifted program is focused solely on enrichment and they have not been accelerated. They score 97-99 percentile in their peer group on MAP test for math.

Anyway, due to the Corona virus scare, it looks like my kids will not go back to school for some time. I'm looking for a good math study material that challenges them while at home.

I'm looking at Beast Academy-- they took the pretest, I think I'll start my DS on 2s and DD on 4s.

Here is my question. Should I use books for this program, online, or both? I'm thinking to continue on during summer, if the kids enjoy it.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Welcome, Neko!

The first 5 posts are usually held for moderation, to ensure they are not generated by spam bots, and therefore posts do not appear immediately.

Hopefully families currently enrolled in Beast Academy will chime in soon, but in the meanwhile, have you searched the forum for old threads/posts on this topic? For example:
Advanced Search, Keyword: Beast, 5 years - 4 years
Advanced Search, Keyword: Beast, 4 years - 3 years
Advanced Search, Keyword: Beast, 3 years - 2 years
Advanced Search, Keyword: Beast, 2 years - 1 years
Advanced Search, Keyword: Beast, Less than 1 year

Here is one old discussion thread...
Beast Academy, AoPS, or Singapore Math? (2016)

Wishing all the best for you and your child during this study-at-home time!

I have only experience with using the books and I like the books a lot. I also used it in conjunction with Singapore Math books and they helped lay a very strong foundation for my child in early math.

Thank you for the information. I just found out that Beast Academy offers a great coupon that I can try out their online courses for only $ 7.50 for both kids just the first month, so I just went ahead and signed up my kids.


I'll see if how much my kids and I like the content & studying online program. if book & workbook route seems better, we can switch it.

My kids get some homework sheets - just prepping for SOL and access to some math & reading online programs, which is so easy and repetitive that sucks out my son's soul (direct quote.)

I would rather not accelerate their math too much, but hope this will challenge them and keep their minds busy.

Thank you all. Hope to give a quick review of the course after a few weeks.

I also only have experience with the books. DS6 really enjoys them and will read the guides for fun.

I'd also like to hear from anyone who has used the program.

FWIW, I received this coupon offer yesterday:

As an online learning company, Art of Problem Solving is in a unique position to help families educate their children at home while so many schools are closed. For our youngest students, we’re offering a free month of access to Beast Academy, our online program for students ages 8-13.

For the rest of March, parents can use the coupon code FlattenTheCurve to receive $15 off any new Monthly or Yearly subscription to Beast Academy Online. Additional details for both the coupon and the curriculum can be found on the Beast Academy homepage.

ETA: not shilling for them...I really wanted to use BA with my little, but DC objected to the overly-fun appearance...go figure.

Would you kids be more motivated if it were on the computer? That might be an advantage for some kids. Online also has videos vs. text heavy information in the books.

We used the books first, tried the online version for a month, and then returned to the books. Having the text to reference, and being able to move around the workbook a bit works well for our family, and in that sense our experience with the online version was a little less flexible.

They are both good options though! I think you can go with your gut on whichever you think would be a better fit for your children, and change your mind later if you need to as well.

We really like BA a lot - I would certainly recommend trying it. As for format,
we tried the first book/workbook (2a) for DD9 and DS6, then moved to online. The main thing I like about the online platform is the immediate feedback the kids get on each problem. This allows them to work much more independently than if I have to correct their work. On the other hand, I've heard a lot of kids enjoy just reading through the guidebook. It is online, but mine don't touch it. At least one of them would be more likely to pick it up if it were on paper.

You could always try the free month online first and see how it goes.

We have both. If your child likes to read comic books, they may prefer book format. If your child would prefer to just do the problems with an occasional partial video here and there for help (like mine), then the online version might be better.

Thanks y'all for the information. I took advantage of the coupon offer and signed my kids up.

They work on 2-3 lessons per day and levels seem to be okay for both. They can answer most of questions correctly but take some time figuring out some of tougher questions. My son (more mathy of the two) has easier time solving the questions and I saw him help his sister solve some questions, too. DD (harder worker of the two ) takes more time, but goes through explanations and videos and seems to be learning a lot.

They both tell me that questions are much more challenging-- not that they enjoy more because of that, but seem to be okay with it.

I'm thinking about buying some books to try out after this trial period. They both like comic books but it is hard to read on screen. Another thing is that some problems are a lot easier to figure out on paper than on screen.

Hope to report back when we get books and are able to compare.

My kids have taken classes at AoPS Academy, so they've experienced both the books and the online platform together. Both have their pros and cons. My kids loved having the physical copies of the textbooks. Yes, they are online, too, but it was easier for them to curl up in bed or on the couch with the books.

For practice, both the workbooks and the online problems are great. But, the workbooks will likely take more work on your end to help them check answers, read hints, or try to solve the problems. They should be able to work more independently with the online platform.

Good to hear this seems to be working out for your kiddos!