Scootpad: Great Common Core Practice Site!

Today's blog is about a new website that has been flying under the radar!
Scootpad Review: Great Common Core Practice Site
Edit (7-6-16): This blog post was written in 2012 and the Scootpad site has changed significantly since then.

1)  It's free.

2)  There are no ads {this is a huge plus for any site I use with my class!!}

3)  Students can sign on from school or home!

Have you heard of it?  It was created last December and I started using it in March. I first heard about Scootpad from an administrator in my district who emailed us all the info.  I think you will love it!  

Basically, Scootpad is a site where students can go to practice all of the Common Core standards for math and reading.  The site is adaptive, so students can move through the standards at their own pace.  You can also modify the content to meet the needs of specific students!  As a teacher, you will be able to see data {a lot of graphs!!} about how each student is performing and can also get detailed email updates about students' progress.  Before you get too excited, let me mention one quick thing:

Good News: Common Core math and reading practice is available for grades 1-3

Bad News: Practice is not available for grades K or 4-5, but the site says it's coming soon!!  (Update: K, 4, and 5 will be available by August 15!!)

So that was the basic info, but let me tell you why my students love Scootpad...

1) Rewards... of course!  I am typically not a big fan of having a lot of incentives for students {in my opinion, intrinsic motivation is always the best}, but they sure were a great motivator on Scootpad.  As students complete practices on Scootpad, they earn coins.  In your teacher account, you can create rewards and specify the amount of coins that each reward is worth.  You can use tangible items like candy or a pencil, or set other rewards like lunch with the teacher or show and tell {I do not do show and tell in second grade, so this was a highly coveted prize!}  Parents can also set rewards for their child to earn at home.  Here is a screenshot of my rewards page:

Scootpad Review: Great Common Core Practice Site

2)  Social media... students love being able to connect with their friends on Scootpad!  They can send messages to each other, choose a smiley face to indicate how they are feeling for the day, pick out their own avatar, check out their news feed (updates about messages from friends and coins they have earned), look at the class wall (with posts from the teacher), and check out the leader boards.

One nice feature is that the messages are pre-selected, so students can't actually type anything to each other {otherwise, they'd spend all day sending messages instead of practicing!}.  As the teacher, you CAN type messages to students, which is great for encouragement.  Here is a screen shot of the cute messages students can send to friends:

Scootpad Review: Great Common Core Practice Site

3) Badges:  Students can earn badges to show off their hard work!  I love the 100% Ninja badge :)

Scootpad Review: Great Common Core Practice Site

So far, I've only discovered one con to Scootpad:

It can be very challenging!  {Not necessarily a bad thing, but it is something to consider!}  I showed Scootpad to my whole class, but I noticed that my average and higher level students played much more often than my lower level students.  I'm not very familiar with the first grade content, but for the second grade content, students need to be able to read what's on the screen {perhaps they will add a read aloud feature in the future??} and also spell correctly {I had a little math wizard who became very frustrated when he had to spell all of the 3-D shapes correctly... I ended up giving him a resource to use while he played!}  On the plus side, you could always give your lower level students a buddy while they play.  Also, don't forget that you can lower the content if needed... I had a second grade student who was on an IEP and I was able to set her content to first grade and her mom played at home with her all the time!  

Here is how I used Scootpad in my classroom last year:

1) Fast finishers logged on when their work was complete {I am blessed to have 4 desktop computers.  I also house our level's laptop cart in my room, so I have a lot of computers available!}

2) Students chose to use Scootpad during centers while I worked with guided reading groups.

3) Homework!  I was amazed by the amount of students who used Scootpad at home for fun!  I think that says a lot about a website when students choose to use it at home.

I definitely think that Scootpad is a site you will want to check out!  Click on the button below to be taken to the website so you can explore more and create your own account!

Scootpad Review: Great Common Core Practice Site


***Update:  The ScootPad team commented on the post!  Check out their response!  They also emailed me some more of their upcoming updates.  I highly recommend contacting Scootpad if you have any questions or comments.  They have been very responsive.  Here is the info they sent me:

Two major features we are also working on right now to release by mid-end of Aug 2012 are:

1) Assignments module - teachers can assign homework (Math practice, Reading practice, Reading Log, Spelling Words etc.), students can complete assignments, teachers can review & grade/correct assignments. This is in response to a significant number of requests from teachers who are considering switching from paper based homework packets to ScootPad (saving over $10,000/year/classroom).

2) Free ScootPad App on all tablets (iPad, Android Tablets and Kindle Fire). Teachers, Students and Parents can ALL use the app to access all features currently available online.



How could you use Scootpad in your classroom?  
What are some fun rewards you would set up for your students?

66 comments

  1. Ohh I hope they add 4th grade soon because I really want to try this site this year! How cute are the messages they can send to each other?! I love how it's Common Core aligned. Thanks for sharing! :)
    Kristin
    iTeach 1:1

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    1. I hope they add more grades, too! My students loved the messaging aspect. The first day I showed them the site, they all were on our laptops and spent FOREVER sending each other the little speech bubbles! It was too cute!

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  2. That sounds like a great website! That would be great to add to my centers. I'm pinning this so I can remember it. :)
    Lisa
    Learning Is Something to Treasure

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    Replies
    1. Scootpad and Sumdog were very popular center choices in my room! Thanks Lisa!

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  3. What an amazing site!! I also hope that they add 4th grade, because I think I would LOVE using this!! :)

    Stephanie
    Maestra Bilingue

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    Replies
    1. Their website says that the other grades are coming soon... hopefully before the school year starts! ;)

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  4. Awesome! So many great websites that I have never heard of! Last year was the first year I really started using computers as a station, so I'm excited to add some more websites to that! Thanks for this informative post!


    Amanda
    Reaching for the TOP!

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    Replies
    1. You're welcome! Have you ever used Sumdog? My students loved that one, as well!

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  5. Oh my goodness! This resource is amazing! I teach kinder, so I will be waiting "patiently" for it to come out for me! :)

    Michelle
    Apples and ABC's

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    1. I think Scootpad would be great for kindergarten, especially if they add an option to have the content read aloud!! Happy waiting :)

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  6. A great website with an owl theme? Win! I'm a new follower. Thanks of stopping by my blog!

    Megan
    I Teach. What's Your Super Power?

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  7. Thank you for the quick reply to our questions! I will update my post with your response!

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  8. Love this!!! I'm so excited to go and check this out now! BTW- we also don't do show and tell in our rooms, but we DO have it as one of our reward items and it is always a HUGE hit!
    Lisen:)
    wearesecondgradesmartypants.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. I loved show and tell as a kid and I really enjoyed doing it when I taught K-1! I really need to find a way to make it fit our schedule in 2nd... the kids always brought it the funniest things! Hmmm....

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  9. I mentioned you and created a link back to this blog on my newest post! Keep up the good work!
    :) Dana
    http://funin1stgrade.blogspot.com/2012/07/8-easy-technological-things-to-change.html
    Fun in 1st Grade

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  10. Found you by way of Dana from Fun in 1st, and am happy to be follower 100:) Thanks for the great resource!

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    Replies
    1. Wahoo!!!! So glad you stopped by and helped me reach a blogger milestone! Thanks for following :)

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  11. Thank you for these wonderful ideas! I found your blog from Dana from Fun in 1st Grade as well. I am your newest follower. I can't wait to read about more of your ideas and resources.
    -Jaime
    Bright Concepts 4 Teachers

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jaime! Thanks for following :) I will go stop by your blog in a moment!

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  12. Kate, Love this post! Did you make the button or did you find it on their sight? I would like to use it on my classroom blog. Thanks!

    Diane
    Teaching with Moxie

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    Replies
    1. Hi Diane! Thanks :) I found the button on their site. Click on "About Us" and then "Logos and Images." I just got an email response from Scootpad and am going to update my post with some info I found out if you want the latest scoop!

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    2. Hi Diane - Please let us know if you need any help with our logo/images you requested. You can access them online here: http://www.scootpad.com/aboutus?sub=6

      Cheers,
      ScootPad Team

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  13. Oh this sounds AWESOME!!! I've been wanting something for my kids to do independently during center time and that was educational. I just hope it's easy enough for my resource kiddos to do on their own!

    Angelia
    Extra Special Teaching

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    Replies
    1. Let me know how it works for your students once they start the read aloud feature!

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  14. So glad to hear that there will be read-aloud features added for this school year! I just had my daughter do the 1st grade level (she will be a first grader in August) and she couldn't' do this without having me read it to her. I teach special ed, and I know my 2nd grade students would not be able to do the 1st grade level without someone assisting them. The read-aloud feature should solve that problem! I'm going to share this resource with my school.

    Thanks,
    Angelia
    Extra Special Teaching

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  15. Good to know! Thanks for testing it out with your daughter!

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  16. My kids LOVE sumdog so I'm sure they will love scootpad. Thanks for sharing this awesome site.

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    Replies
    1. My kids loved them both! What I like about both sites is that they are constantly updated. You're welcome :)

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  17. Thanks for sharing! You inspired me so I mentioned and linked to your post in my blog.

    Thanks,
    Mercedes
    Surfing to Success

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  18. Thank you so much for sharing this - it will be perfect for my fast finishers and computer center. Since it has math, I can use it as a math workstation! I teach Kindergarten and it will have my grade level ready right as my school year starts! Excellent! I am going to do the same as Mercedes and link to this on my blog.
    Thanks!
    Carol
    Mrs. Cobb's Kinder Sprouts

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    Replies
    1. Glad you'll be able to use it! Thanks for sharing the post!

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  19. So glad we found this on Pinterest and found your blog! This sounds like an amazing site. Thanks so much for sharing. We blogged about it and linked back. Hope that's okay. :)

    Christy & Tammy

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    1. Hey Christy and Tammy! So glad you found me through Pinterest! Thanks for spreading the word about ScootPad!

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  20. Check out Dovewhisper Computer Centers.....www.dovewhisper.com/computercenter.htm....it is not robust like ScootPad but it is free, no log in and it was created as an effort to To assist both teachers and students to enrich their curricula. It is broken up by grade level (PreK - 5th) and subject....I hope you find it beneficial...

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  21. Hi Kate! Found you from Technology Tailgate. Just spent some time with ScootPad and WOW! I teach 2nd grade, but I think for the first half of the year I will use the 1st grade curricula for review (and it did not require as much typing). When we come back from Christmas, I will change to Grade 2. Love this site. It will be great for RtI, as we neeed as much documentation as we can generate. Thanks.

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  22. Hopefully you can add the voice/read-aloud feature for all grades! Many of my special-ed accommodations are for a human reader and I find myself outnumbered every year!

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  23. Love the idea...waiting for 5th to come out! :)

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  24. I teach fifth grade language arts...sure hope it is 5th grade ready by the end of August!!

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    Replies
    1. 5th grade should be ready by August 20! Check out their blog for the most recent updates: http://blog.scootpad.com/

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  25. Thanks so much for posting about this site. And thanks to the person who pinned it on Pinterest. I am definitely going to share this with the others in our district. I know my students will love it!

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  26. Thank you so much! I have never heard of this and am looking forward to using it this year!

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  27. Fantastic learning tool! Thanks for the info!
    Love
    Melissa (melissapuliphotography.blogspot.com)

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  28. Update from ScootPad Team:

    We are very excited to kickoff the new 2012-2013 school year and look forward to making ScootPad a valuable resource for teachers, parents & students!

    We are pleased to announce the launch of the highly anticipated release of ScootPad with a ton of features and improvements! Our team has reviewed every single feedback email and feature request received and we feel confident that we have met most if not all the requests.

    Please take a moment to review the new features and improvements (review blog for details):
    1) All Elementary Grades (K-5) Now Available!
    2) ConceptBANK™ – Our Common Core Standards App
    3) Enhanced & expanded Common Core Standards based curriculum
    4) Voice support now available for Grades K and 1st.
    5) Paperless Homework! New Homework Assignment module
    6) Unlimited, Real-Time & Automated Practice generation
    7) Free ScootPad App for iPads, Android tablets (target dt: 1st Sep 2012)

    Blog Post: http://blog.scootpad.com/2012/08/19/back-to-school-with-scootpad-2012-2013/

    Several other improvements across ScootPad were also deployed to improve user experience for teachers, parents and students. Please continue to provide us your valuable feedback and suggestions – we greatly appreciate it! Should you have questions or need further assistance/support with making the most out of ScootPad, do not hesitate to contact us by sending an email to support@scootpad.com.

    Love,
    ScootPad Team

    P.S: If you use and love ScootPad, now help others discover ScootPad! Spread the word to others teachers in your school/district, parents and friends. Sharing is caring, after all :) Find our share links here: http://www.scootpad.com/aboutus?sub=6

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  29. I just discovered this website. Thank you for the pin. I would love for it to be offered in Spanish, as we have thousands of dual immersion students that can't use this incredible resource! Let us know if you hear of a Spanish version being developed! Thanks again for the great post.

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  30. Thank you so much for you insight. I have looked at this site and even signed up but didn't seem to impressed. The thing I remember being worried about was there seemed to be no control over what assignments students are doing. My concern would be students coming upon questions I have not taught yet? Was this an issue, can you assign certain topics? I am used to study island, but now that I am in first we do not have that as a resource :(

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    1. Yes, you can assign certain topics to your whole class, or even specific students. Some of the beginning second grade material is too hard for my students, so I will assign some of the first grade content when we start using ScootPad this year.

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  31. Does anyone know how to prevent students from moving on to a different unit when I have already deactivated it? I only want my students working on the stars they are working on in class.

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    1. Hi Rachel! I'm not sure, but if you contact the folks at ScootPad, they should be able to help: http://www.scootpad.com/contactus

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  32. Thank you so much for sharing this site. I am so excited to start this with my students. I have share the site with my team too!

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  33. I really appreciate you sharing this site. I think it is so important to start kids collaboration young and this application allows them to send notes back and forth. It also has great differentiation potential which is a must these days in education!

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  34. I was playing around with ScootPad trying to see what the lessons would look like for my students. I noticed that on ELA lessons on sentence structure would ask students to correct a run-on sentence by adding correct puntuation and capitalization. I tried missing a few to see what it would do. It didn't pick up on capitalization or punctuation errors, but did catch spelling errors. Have you noticed this being the case with all ELA lessons???

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    Replies
    1. I have found a couple of errors with questions/answers, but have not seen any related to punctuation and capitalization. I'm sorry you are having this experience. If you contact the folks at ScootPad directly, they should be able to help you out.

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