If you have a young child who watches TV, there’s a 100% chance that you’ve seen a commercial for ABC Mouse. The commercials feature excited parents and their children, sharing about everything they’ve learned since starting ABC Mouse; some even claiming their child is now above reading levels. This is great news for those families … and great marketing for ABC Mouse.
The commercials boast a full online curriculum for children ages 2-8, complete with a variety of subjects that include books, games, puzzles, and other fun activities and a visit to their brightly colored website is enough to get anyone excited about learning. But, is it worth it financially and/or academically? What about socially?
Let’s compare it with Dailies, a comprehensive platform of research-backed digital learning tools – from a microlearning app, to interactive small-group pods, to a complete homeschool program – that is geared for children in preschool through 5th grade.
Every child deserves a personalized educational experience because not every child is the same. Both ABC Mouse and Dailies offer personalized learning opportunities for students, but how this personalization happens is very different. When beginning ABC Mouse, your child can set up their profile however they choose, even customizing their very own avatar character. Before any levels are officially started, children take an assessment, which places them at the level scored at. From there, each new level introduces new learning concepts through gamified activities. Although the games, songs, and activities may all seem similar, the app system is continuously updating to ensure that the student is keeping up with lessons that are age-appropriate for their level.
Alternatively, when beginning with Dailies, you as a caregiver have the option to meet with one of our head educators or sometimes even the CEO of the company, who asks questions about your family, your child, and their learning experiences. From there, they offer suggestions as to which Dailies teacher might be a good match. Classes are offered live, via Zoom, so no two are ever the same. Games, songs, and activities may be similar, but the teachers are continuously observing and reflecting on ways to ensure that the students are not only keeping up with age-appropriate lessons, but that they are actually interested in the lessons and activities.
Looking strictly at the personalization process of getting started, Dailies comes out on top. From the first few moments, you are dealing with an actual human, and while it’s done via video, it’s still done in real-time. ABC Mouse shares learning reports with parents, but they are just that, reports. Dailies also utilizes a report system, but it’s personalized after every class and shares specifically what was talked about during class – even sharing quotes and comments! As with a traditional classroom, Dailies also hosts parent-teacher conferences so that families can further discuss their student’s strengths and areas of improvement.
No matter where and how you choose to educate your child, they need to have some kind of social interactions. Educational apps are not always the most effective way in socializing young children due to the necessary screen time to participate. A program like Dailies, while screen time is necessary, provides plenty of social interaction for young children (and their families!) Classes are small group style, providing an opportunity to interact with other students from across the country. Teachers encourage teamwork and collaboration during class which increases problem solving and socialization skills. Often with the younger students, parents are in the background, so the class gets to know each other fairly well.
Homeschooling can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Both ABC Mouse and Dailies offer a free trial option to determine whether it’s the right fit for your child and your family. When looking strictly at pricing, Dailies is more expensive, but it’s important to look at why. Each pricing option for Dailies includes a lot of perks; all of the classes are live and real-time, they come with personalized reports (including video reports), and they offer discounts on additional pod classes.The full homeschool curriculum also includes social breaks, conferences, and enrichment classes. Dailies strives to keep all learning materials simple objects that most families will already have at home. ABC Mouse has a monthly subscription option but included is access to parent reports and more activities that track your child’s levels.
When looking at total education experiences, Dailies is the winner. From their personalized, live classes, to their total academic support, and their variety of program options, you just can’t go wrong. This is not to say that ABC Mouse is not a great resource, because it is, but it is just that, a resource.
Parents who are looking for a school-like environment, with social and educational experiences included, should definitely check out dailiespods.com – the team is standing by to answer any and all questions you may have!
Written by
Meghan Bouboulinis Read all posts by this author