Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources BrainPOP?

Anyone here using Brainpop as a major resource in home/afterschooling? I am considering getting it and wanted to hear your thoughts on it

DS8 watches BrainPop videos frequently. It is a great resource for us as homeschoolers. Portia is correct that there are LOTS of topics. Almost every topic we cover in our curriculum has a BrainPop video, and DS often remembers the material he learns on BrainPop better than material presented to him in other formats. The videos we watch are usually 3 - 5 minutes in length, so I'm not sure if we are watching different videos than Portia or if Portia's DS is using BrainPopJr? There are other resources available after most videos, including a quiz, activity, and additional written information. If you use these additional resources I think it can be a major learning resource (we do this for the health topics since we have no other health curriculum).

My DS7 also loves BrainPop. Admittedly, he watches the science and weather over and over.

I'm going to probably enforce one or two short videos on grammar and math, just to get the value.

I think it's money well spent.

DS has also been enjoying Dreambox. We've tried other online supplemental programs, but they are usually too "dry" to keep his interest.

Thanks guys - It's on 25% off on homeschoolers coop site this month, so I am considering it. My oldest is asking to move away from a more unschooled exploration approach to a more formalised approach, and I thought that this would still give him freedom to explore and discover albeit in a digital format.

cammom we are almost done with dreambox. I suspect he will finish the grade 7 stuff before the end of the year, even though at the moment he is seriously trying to work on his spelling, writing, handwriting etc. We are still doing LOF and dreambox for maths - they are the only things he really loves for maths.

I have the app for the iPad that has free videos (about one a week)...you could try that and see if you like it...we have brain pop, brain pop jr., and brain pop Spanish. All free versions.

DD9 and DS6 both have really enjoyed Brain Pop. Our schools have a subscription, but I believe some parts of it are also free. They find it very entertaining, and DH likes to ask them, "What is Moby up to today?"

I see it more as fun enrichment, but both DC have actually picked up quite a bit from enjoying Brain Pop. From time to time, they have surprised me by knowing something rather unusual, where I have asked them, "where did you learn that?" Sometimes the answer has been, "Brain Pop."

We get it free as our district has a subscription. It is used as enrichment for little kids and remedial reinforcement of basics for bigger kids. I see from your signature line that you have little kids so it should be fine. However, it is not at a sophisticated/in-depth level so insufficient by itself beyond elementary school. Current science standards requires a lot of analysis, synthesis and writing, not just memorization of facts, by 6th grade if not earlier. Our elementary school shifted focus from just learning facts starting in 4th grade although it doesn't always take until middle school.

We had both BrainPop and BrainPop Jr for a year (when kids were 8 and 6). DD7 liked the Junior version initially, but overall found it too simplistic. DS9 would sometimes binge on watching the videos, but eventually stopped. A year was good, but we didn't resubscribe this year. I might next year, since DD never watched it much. We definitely used it as enrichment, though, and not as a major part of homeschool.

Both kids have been watching Ted-Ed videos recently, if anyone is looking for bite-sized educational videos for older kids.

hmm okay then maybe for the younger two. My oldest son is nearly 8 and is finishing off grade 5 stuff this year, with forays into high school science and pre algebra (aside from writing).

Maybe I should try the free versions and see how far that takes us then

Yes try the free apps