We are a family of 4 kids with 2 in the Upper Primary School.
Raising so many kids (in Singapore’s context) is expensive. However, it is not just about the money but also the sheer amount of time and effort we need to spend as responsible parents.
One way we help ourselves to simplify life is via using efficient A.I. learning platforms such as Geniebook. These platforms help cut down the effort required to support our kids’ education.
We subscribed to Geniebook in 2019 and are in our 3rd year using the platform. So here I am, doing another unpaid review of Geniebook. Check out my earlier review on our Maths Subscription here.
What is Geniebook
Geniebook is an online learning platform that caters to students from Primary 1 to Secondary 4. It uses data collected from the students to help them spend time efficiently revising their English, Maths and Science.
Geniebook For Control
The functions in the platform allow parents and students to focus on the weaker areas rather than spend unnecessary time on topics the child is already well-versed in.
No more standing in front of Popular’s bookshelves to purchase countless assessments book. No more taking up precious space at home and wasting the child’s time and energy on areas where they are already doing well. I don’t know about you. But, looking at so many assessment books piling up at home irked me during my school days.
Geniebook For Flexibility
Preparing for the high stake PSLE entirely on our own can be very daunting.
Many parents opt for private tuition can be extremely expensive. It is dependent on the family’s financial situation and the number of school-going kids they have.
Group tuition means extra travelling time, eating out, and adhering to class schedules. And in 2021, it means unnecessary Covid-19 exposure.
Geniebook gives us the flexibility to learn at our own pace and schedule at home. However, there can be days when my kids are too busy with school activities that they cannot proceed with any revision.
Geniebook has online live classes too. And if the child is too busy with something else, they can always watch the recorded sessions when time avails. This helps the kids cope with their increasing workload and stress level as they move up the academic level.
Geniebook Features
Let’s look at Geniebook features in more detail. I will only cover Science in this post. You can find more coverage on Maths in my earlier post.
Online Worksheets
Each subscription package comes with at least 300 worksheets with around 15 questions per worksheet for the student to attempt. The worksheet consists of multiple choices (MCQ) and open-ended questions (OEQ).
Example of a P4 magnet OEQ.
Questions set in Geniebook Science are very similar to the school examination questions. I can tell the similarities as we practice some schools’ past year papers to accustom the kids to writing for exams.
According to Geniebook, the type of questions asked on the platform gets progressively complex as the students move up their academic levels.
See a P5 level question here.
What I love about Geniebook Science is the immediate solution given after the child submits their answer to the particular question. In addition, the keywords in the solution are bold to help the child learn better. As you may know, scoring in PSLE Science is all about answering with the right keywords.
But the effectiveness of these worksheets and solutions is dependent on the child, whether they are motivated and able to learn independently.
I have two upper primary children with different learning abilities. For example, one can learn independently from her mistakes, whereas the other child needs me to sit through the entire worksheet with him.
Overview of Progress
This is our most visited page under the “Progress” tab, where we generate worksheets for the kids.
We can click “Generate Customised Worksheet” to focus on mastering the three weakest topics. Or we can manually generate a worksheet that fits your revision requirement to focus on the impending Weighted Assessment.
The scores recorded in the progress table are the average scores the child has attained over time.
As you can see in the table pulled out from Geniebook Science, my girl’s score for Magnet reads 40%, whereas the chart shows improvement over time. So do look into the charts when you analyse your child’s grasp of a particular topic.
Updates Via Parent’s App
I also like the regular notifications Geniebook sends via its parent’s app. It updates me on my children’s progress and sends me a reminder when the kids seem to have stopped visiting Geniebook for a week.
The thorough breakdown of the children’s progress in the parent’s app is fantastic.
While I complained that Geniebook, unlike Koobits, is unable to break down its questions into sub-sections of each topic, it gives a very detailed analysis of a child’s performance in these sub-sections and an example of a corresponding question and answer.
Further, it gives us, parents, a realistic idea of the child’s ability by comparing their performance to the percentage of GenieBook users who can answer the question correctly. This helps us to decide whether it is worth pursuing an improvement in a particular area or to move on to accumulate the lower-hanging fruits first.
Again, the strategy defers to everyone’s case and is highly dependent on the individual’s learning capacity.
I hope that Geniebook will enhance the platform and allow users to select questions based on sub-sections of areas in which the children are weaker.
Online Classes
One reason for paying Geniebook at a premium price compared to their competitors is the availability of real-time online live classes for users to attend and ask questions. These are known as GenieClass. The sessions are recorded so that any student who misses the class can watch the videos later.
Check out the Geniebook Plans here.
There is also another real-time Teacher’s Chat available where experienced teachers are on hand to help while the student is trying out a worksheet. Again, I believe this is an awesome support for independent and motivated students.
My two elder kids dislike online classes, regardless of live or recorded, and have no patience to sit through the entire session. I persuaded them, and we tried a couple of times. I have decided to save my energy for some other meaningful battles.
Hence I cannot comment on whether the classes are helpful for them. To some people, I have wasted the money invested in Geniebook. But to me, I am in for Geniebook’s A.I. capability, not the classes.
I have to date, yet to find any other A.I platforms that work intelligently like Geniebook for Science. Most other online learning lessons focus more on zoom / recorded video lessons and worksheets that have to be worked on manually.
Please let me know in the comments box below if you know of any similar A.I. learning programs worth looking into.
Here is a screenshot of some live classes available this week and a recorded video.
So Who Suits This A.I. Learning Platform?
Before signing up for Geniebook’s subscription, understand your child’s learning style.
In my experience, Geniebook is great for motivated students who can learn independently. Or if you can set aside time to support your child while he works on the platform.
If you have a child with learning needs or require a lot of extra push in academics, and you are a busy parent who cannot closely monitor and support your child’s progress, this A.I. platform may not be suitable for you. Hiring a private tutor or joining a group class may work better.
Also to mention is your child’s ability to type on the keyboard, and the availability of a tablet or a drawing pad is crucial in deciding to subscribe to the Geniebook Science package.
While my P5 boy has no issue typing out his answers for the OEQ, my P4 is still grappling with typing a lengthy OEQ answer. I often sit beside her to help her key in the answers to complete a worksheet.
Drawing a diagram to answer the OEQ can be frustrating for some, especially if there is no tablet at home. Just imagine using a mouse to draw out the formation of an electromagnet.
These will discourage the children and result in low usage of the platform.
I hope you find my review of the Geniebook Science helpful in making a decision.
If you are keen to experience the GenieBook, click on this link to register your interest. I do not get any commission if you sign up for GenieBook via this link.
More Tips
We complement Geniebook with Janet Sim’s Science Guided Practice. A fellow parent recommended Janet Sim’s series of Science assessment books, and I found the Guided Practice highly suitable for weaker students.
There are two sections in the Guided Practice book. The first section is ‘Read and Learn’, where solutions accompany the questions. The second section is ‘Test Yourself. Explanations accompany answers at the back of the book.
Going through Janet Sim’s Guided Practice before trying out the Geniebook questions helps build a better foundation for the weaker student.
You can find Janet Sim’s series from the Amazon link here.
Further, I also complemented a couple of past year exam papers two weeks before the significant examinations to get the kids accustomed to the exam’s format and use pen and paper.
Please Like My Facebook Page to hear more from me if you find this review helpful. Thank you.
Need free Chinese Flashcards for your primary school kids?
Click HERE for more!
You may also like these posts:
A Review on Koobits Problemsums
You don’t need these to start a family
Remove Up to 99% Bacteria With Just Cloth and Water? Norwex Makes Life Easier and More Sustainable
How to Go to the Southern Islands Singapore with kids
Botanic Garden’s Gallop Extension – New Como Adventure Grove Playground
Geniebook is an online learning tool for students to learn at their own speed and attempt exercise modules. The idea sounds good and the sales team is well-oiled to close the sales and they are rewarded with sales commission. They are able to convince you by pressing all the parents’ pain points (how to motivate child to proactively do exercise, minimal supervision, real time tracking of performance and work, flexible learning hours, etc).
I am parent of PSLE student, and we subscribed for Geniebook end of 2022 hoping that this would work well. The initial hesitation was that subscription had to be for the entire year up to end of December, even though PSLE ends in early October. We also worry that the module may not be effective closer to exam as those modules are bite sized. But the sales person was very sincere and convincing to alleviate our worries by saying subscription can be suspended flexibly, and can be utilised in the future. We also floated the idea of the younger sibling utilising the subscription after PSLE ends. In the end, we went ahead and spend a couple thousand dollar
8 months down the road, we find that Geniebook module is good for basic understanding as the worksheets are bite sized, and the format is close but not PSLE style entirely. The only noticeable ‘AI’ element is that app would recognise mistakes in the worksheet and repeat the same questions if you would like to attempt another exercise module again. There is no ‘AI’ element in providing answers or replying questions. There are lots of stats provided about your child’s performance though. There are channels/chatroom for students to ask questions but it is normally answered a few days later. This is hard if you would like to clarify or discuss. Some open ended worksheets are marked rather slowly after a few days. One of their selling point is the app is able to motivate students to keep attempting the worksheets to earn ‘bubble points’. The gamification of this element is quite good, but the modules are not comprehensive and robust enough for PSLE.
Your kid needs to be quite disciplined to do this. Parents would need to spend time to review with the child. If you think you can leave it to the child as the answers and explanation are stated there, you are wrong. It is a tool to help you with some basic skills and understanding. Due to these factors, coupled with heavy homework assigned by school as it now gets closer to PSLE, we decided to approach Geniebook for suspension of subscription.
Guess what? Apparently the maximum suspension is 60 days. The reason given is ‘system issue’, or ‘it is not in contract and we are not obliged to give you suspension’. Even if we decide to use Geniebook up to PSLE date, we will still have subscription running without utilisation unless your kid wants to continue doing Geniebook exercise after PSLE. So all the previous sales pitch are all empty talk. It is almost like a scam to maximise subscription period even as they expect minimal utilisation after exam, and giving you ideas that you can suspend and use it later.
AVOID GENIEBOOK:
1) not PSLE format, only good for basic understanding. Lack of Q&A channels that are fast enough for clarification/discussion
2) too much gamification focused on earning points and redeem gifts but the modules not robust enough.
3) misleading you in a sense that you can suspend subscription for future use, but in reality there are 3 months from Oct-Dec after PSLE ends where you dont utilise it. Beware of sales pitch, they will come to your house.
4) Geniebook cant solve your pain points, it is just a gamified exercise module.
this is from a kid experience- hi i am 10 years old. geniebook is stress,the questions are so hard example: for science you have to get everything correct.for math you have to put units or else its wrong. i have to do 3 every day and 5 every weekend! and its 600k plus if u want to sign up for 120 worksheets it is $235.40 i srsly learned nothing from it and i cant even enjoy my holiday ever since genie book existed!