Prodigy has been taking the world by storm and changing the way that teachers and students used to feel about maths lessons.  The question is, what exactly is it, and where do you start if you want to start using it?

 

Prodigy is a zero-cost, adaptive, curriculum-aligned, online game-based learning platform. This revolutionary new app is used by over 1.5 million teachers and over 50 million students in the world.  Prodigy has recreated the way in which maths is approached and allows players to learn maths by playing a game by answering maths questions.

 

The beauty of it all, is that as their maths skills start to grow so does their very own wizard.  This wizard learns new spells and acquires new equipment to face powerful opponents every time maths questions are answered correctly.

 

 What Makes Prodigy Special?

 

·      Curriculum Aligned

 

Prodigy is aligned to various curricula enabling teachers to ensure that their students are getting the same content that they are busy teaching in the class.  The content is available in both grade and standard level and new content is continuously added to the application.

 

·      Prodigy is Adaptive

 

Prodigy uses a proprietary algorithm so as to automatically deliver the appropriate material that each student requires.  When a student registers with Prodigy they are automatically required to do a placement test so as determine what their starting grade should be.

 

Thereafter the students progress is constantly being monitored so as to determine what level of skills they should receive next.  If a student is doing well on a specific skill, then they are automatically moved into the next grade.

 

If, however, a student is battling with a specific skill then they are pulled back to a prerequisite to give them some more practice before being able to try again.

 

·      Prodigy is Customised

 

Prodigy is aligned with whatever a teacher is currently teaching in the classroom.  Teachers are able to create a plan in Prodigy so as to deliver certain topics to students over a predetermined period of time.

 

Prodigy also gives teachers the ability to assess the knowledge of their students by being able to create assignments for them. These assignments insert selected curricula-based skills into the game.

 

·      Prodigy is Easily Accessible

 

There are many ways in which to access Prodigy through an array of devices.  Prodigy is web based so students are able to play the game wherever they may be as long as they have access to the internet. Prodigy can be accessed via PC’s, Chromebooks, iPads and Android devices.

 

How to Set Up a Prodigy Account

 

Prodigy offers three different types of free accounts: 

 

Teachers

Prodigy is widely used by teachers and home-schooling teachers.  The account designation can be used to access the logged in portions of the website and allows the teacher to access all the functionality that the program has to offer. These can include assignment creation as well as reports for multiple classes.

 

Students

Students accounts allow them to login and only play the game.  They are not able to access the logged in components of the teacher or parent website as these are restricted to only parents and teachers.

 

Students carry player data with them but do not have the authority to manage other functions such as the ability to recover or change their passwords.  These management options can only be performed by teachers and parents who have paired students to their own accounts.

 

Parents

Parent accounts are very similar to teacher accounts but are, however, restricted from certain management tools that are made available only to teachers. In other words a parent won’t be able to create assignments of have access to classes.  Parent accounts are a wonderful tool for parents to be able to monitor their children when they are playing the game at school or home.

 

Creating A New Teacher Account

 

Teachers are able to use their accounts to make class lists, student accounts and create assignments. They are also able to monitor each student’s progress by using the Prodigy Reporting tools.

 

Here are the steps to follow in order to create your “Teacher” Account:

• Navigate to Prodigyand select the “Get Your Free Account” option.
• Choose the appropriate option at the top. The choices are teacher, parent or student.
• If you are not using Google, you will have to provide your full name, e-mail address, and the password that you would like to use for the account
• Now click on the “Create Account” button.
• Your teacher account will now have been created.

 

You will receive an e-mail confirming the details of your account and then you can proceed to the setup of your new account.

 

Creating A New Student Account

 

To register a new student account, do the following: 

• Go to Prodigyand click on “Get Your Free Account”.
• Choose the “Student” option and then “Play Prodigy”.
• When you are in the game’s login page, select “New Student”. This will start the character creation process.
• Follow the prompts on screen in order to finish the creation process.

 

Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVmM9dTZYFk to show you how to set up a Prodigy account.

Linking A Child Account to A Parent Account

 

In order to link a child’s account to a parent account, you will first need to create a parent account.

 

Follow these steps:

• Make your way to the Prodigy website and select the “Login” button that is on the top right-hand side of the page.
• Enter your registered parent email address and password to log in.
• If you only have one child attached to your parent account, the program will automatically redirect you to their dashboard. Click on their name on the top left-hand side of the screen and choose the “Add child” icon. If you have more than one child attached to your parents account, you will see the “My children” page.  Now click on the green “Add child” button.
• Select the “My child already has an account” icon.
• Enter the username and password of your child and select “Add child”. You will now be able to see the account that you have linked.

 

How Much Does Prodigy Cost?

 

Prodigy comes at no cost for teachers, students and parents. It does, however, offer optional membership subscriptions for students.  These subscriptions will give your child access to a larger number of pets and increased levels of character customization.

 

Not having a subscription will not change your ability to access any education content so it is not necessary to have one if you don’t feel you need one.