yo, honestly i feel u on the pre-algebra wall. My 7th grader hit that exact same roadblock last year and it was literally so stressful trying to help without just doing the work for him. I’m pretty new to the AI scene and I was super cautious at first because I didnt want him just copying answers and failing his tests later.

From what I’ve seen, Microsoft Math Solver is actually a solid option. It’s pretty user-friendly for kids to use solo and it goes through the steps clearly. I like that it provides extra learning resources like related videos so they get the 'why' behind the steps. Another one that’s been helpful is Socratic by Google. It basically uses AI to identify the problem and then shows explainers and bite-sized lessons.

But honestly, a quick word of caution... these AI tools can sometimes hallucinate or get the logic wrong on those super tricky multi-step word problems. I always tell my kid to treat the AI like a study buddy, not an oracle. You might also want to look at Brilliant.org for building that core intuition—it’s very interactive and doesn't just hand over answers. Anyway, it’s definitely a bit of a learning curve for everyone but those are a good starting point. good luck!!

Respectfully, I'd consider another option if you're looking for the best bang-for-your-buck. Khanmigo is cool, but I mean, it can feel a bit talky for some kids who just wanna get the work done, you know? Just catching up on the thread and honestly, I've had a better experience looking at some of the lower-cost specialized tools that handle word problems specifically.

Here are a few alternatives that are super easy on the wallet:

1. Socratic by Google - This one is totally free and it's basically a life-saver. It scans the word problem and pulls up video explainers and step-by-step breakdowns. It's very visual, which really helps with the "why" part.
2. Symbolab Math Solver Plus - For about $5 a month, it gives crazy detailed breakdowns of multi-step equations. Ngl, its basically a high-end math engine for the price of a coffee.
3. Brainly Plus with AI Tutor - This one is around $10/month. It's great for those tricky word problems because it combines AI with community-verified answers, so the explanations feel more human.

Anyway, just my two cents! Good luck with the pre-algebra wall... it's a tough one but he'll get it eventually. 👍

Ok so, I've been testing math apps for years and honestly Khan Academy Khanmigo is the only one that really explains the 'why.' Compare that to Photomath Plus, which is great for steps but way too easy to cheat with... make sure to watch that. I would suggest starting with Khanmigo for those word problems.

TL;DR: Khanmigo for actual tutoring, Photomath for checking steps. gl!

Basically, from a market analysis standpoint, you really need to look at the 'engine' under the hood. Most of the generic AI stuff just uses a standard LLM which can sometimes hallucinate logic in multi-step problems, which is the last thing a 7th grader needs. - Wolfram Alpha: This is the gold standard for computational intelligence. It doesn't just 'chat'; it uses a symbolic math engine to ensure the steps are 100% accurate. It’s excellent for breakdown the 'why' in pre-algebra and handling those tricky variables.
- Quizlet Q-Chat: This is a newer player in the AI tutor space that utilizes the Socratic method. It’s basically designed to coach the student through the problem via dialogue rather than just providing a solution, which is great for building confidence. Tbh, if ur kid is hitting a wall, Wolfram is probably the most reliable for technical accuracy, while Q-Chat is better for that interactive, solo-study vibe. Its definitely worth comparing how they handle a specific word problem to see which UI he prefers.

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Noted!

This thread is gold. Bookmarking for future reference 🔖

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Can confirm

I just stumbled on this and wanted to share some testing I did. I actually ran a bunch of 7th grade word problems through different engines recently to see which ones actually get the logic right instead of just guessing. Tbh, a lot of the older apps ur used to hearing about struggle with the newer pre-algebra curriculum stuff.

• Claude 3.5 Sonnet

Pros: Literally the best reasoning performance I have seen for multi-step problems. It explains the logic like a human would and rarely misses the context of a word problem.
Cons: It is a general AI, so you need to give it a prompt like Explain this to a middle schooler step-by-step to get the best tutoring results.

• Gauth

Pros: This one is specifically tuned for math and has a really high success rate on those tricky word problems. I found it way more reliable than the basic solvers for logic in my benchmarks.
Cons: The app can be a bit pushy with its premium features. Basically, if you want the highest accuracy for the why, the reasoning power in some of these newer models is a game changer. It is wild how much better they are getting at the actual logic.