I recently had the honor of trying out Smile Zemi, the first tablet-based independent home learning system for elementary students in grades 1-5. It was designed to increase academic performance aligned with the common core standards. With the rapid learning loss that has occurred since Covid, Smile Zumi's curriculum and materials aim to improve all areas related to Math and ELA.
My Initial Thoughts About Smile Zemi:
Parents that don't want to have to monitor screen time will absolutely love Smile Zemi. They can turn it on and let the device walk their child through a well structured learning journey without the assistance of an adult. In fact, the unique learning style encourages independent study. The distraction free experience prevents children from navigating out of the learning program since it is the only application on the device (no web-browsers, video platforms, games, etc.).
The downside is its expense. The tablet costs $329.99 and only allows the use of one application which comes with a $79.99/mo.price tag. Those who have Apple devices are most likely familiar with guided access that restricts the device by only allowing it to use a single app. Therefore, they might just want an app they can download and subscribe to that can be added to their multifunctional device.
What Makes Smile Zemi Unique?
As soon as I picked up the Smile Zemi pen I was incredibly impressed. No charging or paring is needed in order for this pen to work on the screen. The writing is precise and very accurate. It will even allow you to rest your hand on the screen while you write! I also liked how you could turn the pen over to use as an eraser without having to tap on an eraser button. It is very durable yet light weight. To be completely honest, I like this pen more than the Apple pencil hands down.
What is the academic content like?
I can attest that the content for grades 1-5 is directly aligned with the common core standards. The video explanations, modules and exercises all dive deep into each concept to give children a well balanced foundation in both math and language arts.
One thing that really stood out about the academic content were the video explanations. I liked how there was a human hand showing students how to break down math word problems using a variety of strategies. They also showed students how to use digital manipulatives to explain math reasoning.
I also appreciate how the program is designed to keep students focused on the task at hand and does not allow them to simply click through answers just to end an activity. As you can see in the practice below, the student must click the speaker icon to hear the word aloud before the activity will allow them to select an answer. If they try to select an answer before listening to the question, a reminder message pops up at the bottom of the screen.
Most importantly š, the platform keeps students motivated by providing digital rewards:
Overall Thoughts:
This week I will be introducing Smile-Zemi to a small group of students to get their thoughts about this home learning system and to see how their understanding of math and ELA concepts improve. Stay tuned!
Where Can I Get the Smile Zemi?
Smile Zemi will be available for purchase after June 1st. You can buy directly from the Smile Zemi website.
Get $50 off your Smile Tablet with promo code: MMB0601 (offer expires 6/30/2023)
