Beast Academy, developed by Art of Problem Solving (AoPS), is a comprehensive math curriculum for grades 2-5 designed by its creators as “the math curriculum we wish we had when we were kids.” Beast Academy Online provides over 800 lessons, 15,000 problems, 700 instructional videos, and access to the digital Beast Academy Guide books. A subscription includes access to the full online curriculum and all of the digital Guide books for grades 2, 3, 4, and 5.

It teaches kids how to think critically and understand the foundational concepts behind the math calculations they are learning. Engaging, comic-book style illustrations keep kids coming back for more, even as they grapple with some of the most rigorous math problems available anywhere. Beast Academy gives educators a practical way to increase the rigor of math instruction available in schools, ensure all students are appropriately challenged, and make math more fun and engaging for learners.

Formats/platforms used:

Beast Academy Online is a web application that runs on any internet-connected desktop, laptop, or tablet (including touch devices) with an updated version of one of the following web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Try it out and see how it works on your device with this Demo.

Primary URL: https://beastacademy.com/online/schools
 

What does Beast Academy help with? What problem does it solve?

The vision of Art of Problem Solving is that the overall level of math education provided to students will be raised, so all students develop their skills and knowledge according to higher standards. Each learner will have access to content and instruction that is appropriately challenging, and fosters continuous growth along with a passion for progress. This vision is fully in focus in Beast Academy:

Beast Academy Online helps students learn core concepts, develop reasoning skills, and enhance their creativity. Like all AoPS programs, it is focused on problem solving, not the memorization of rote procedures.

By encouraging students to try multiple times to solve challenging problems, it promotes tenacity and rewards perseverance. Even for the most advanced learners, Beast Academy continues to challenge them and ensure they are stretched to the maximum level of their ability as they work through productive struggle, helping every student to develop a healthy growth mindset.

Primary user age:

Beast Academy is a full math curriculum for grades 2-5. A subscription includes access to all the available grade levels.

Audience served:

Beast Academy Online can be used as the core math curriculum for advanced elementary school students, or as supplemental content to another core program. It is typically used in gifted programs or as a challenging supplemental program for general elementary math education.

Subject, topic, and/or standards:

Beast Academy provides a comprehensive math curriculum for grades 2-5. Visit this page for more information about how it is mapped to the Common Core standards: https://beastacademy.com/resources/planning

Lesson Time Needed:

Beast Academy can be used as the core math curriculum for advanced learners in grades 2-5 or as a supplemental resource, so it can be used for part of the math period or for the entire block.

Pricing model:

Beast Academy Online can be purchased as a yearly subscription for individual or home use, or can be licensed by a school or district for use by all students in grades 2-5. School and district leaders can contact the Art of Problem Solving team via this online form or via email at info@beastacademy.com to receive a quote.

What makes Beast Academy unique?

Beast Academy’s creators designed it to be the math curriculum they wish they had when they were in school. As such, there is not only a focus on rigorous content that is appropriately challenging for even the most high-achieving students, but also on a user experience that is truly interactive and engaging. The following key features help the program stand out:

• A comprehensive online curriculum for grades 2‑5 with over 800 lessons.
• Over 15,000 problems including puzzles, games, word problems, and skill drills. Students get immediate feedback when they complete problems, and full solutions are provided for every problem.
• A library of interactive mathematical puzzles designed by World Puzzle Champion Palmer Mebane, which offers engaging review of important math concepts while strengthening creative reasoning skills.
• Over 700 videos tied directly to the lessons. The videos feature AoPS founder Richard Ruscyk and model the problem-solving strategies needed to excel.
• Digital versions of the Guide books for grades 2‑5. These are richly-illustrated books that allow students to explore at their leisure or jump straight to relevant sections of the Guides while practicing their skills.
• In-depth reporting on student progress and activity. The reports track many aspects of students' mathematical development, and relevant reports are made available to students, parents, and teachers both online and through email.

Characteristics:

Beast Academy Online is an interactive, highly engaging learning experience for all students. Content is presented in a richly-illustrated comic book style that makes students excited to learn.

Erich Owen, a professional illustrator for more than two decades, is the Art Director for all Beast Academy curricula and has taken the lead on creating the program’s unique look and feel. He co-created and illustrated the internationally published graphic novel and comic strip series, Mail Order Ninja, worked with William Shatner on a comic book series based on Mr. Shatner's TekWar novels and TV series, illustrated Teen Titans GO! for DC Comics, and co-wrote and illustrated a Fruit Ninja graphic novel. Erich is essential to making Beast Academy fun and compelling for students, so they learn to love math while engaging in rigorous content.

Try this demo to see the user interface and Beast Academy program in action: https://beastacademy.com/demo/school

Here’s what users are saying:

“My students love [Beast Academy]! The guide books are fun to read (we love discovering hidden jokes throughout the books) and the problems provide a great variety. The problems have a nice range of complexity and my students are excited to do the puzzles that are scattered throughout. My students are excited to come to math class!”

--Jen Gruber, 5th Grade Extensions Teacher, Princeton Public Schools (Minn.)

“I feel like I have a dream job. I get to come in every day and teach this fun curriculum that has a comic book. We get to know the characters, and they joke with us. The kids love it. I honestly feel lucky every day to get to do it. I love doing puzzles and problems as much as the kids. I’m very honored to be a part of it.”

--Lindsay Melia, elementary math teacher, TVT Community Day School (via edCircuit)

“I work weekly with a group of high achieving third graders and recently started using Beast Academy. The students love the challenging problems and beg to read the Guide book each week! The curriculum does a wonderful job of captivating and engaging the students, while at the same time stretching them to delve into deep and challenging math problems and activities. I am so excited to have this resource to use with my elementary gifted and talented students.”

--Jennifer Cosgrove, Gifted and Talented Coordinator, School District of South Milwaukee (Wisc.)

“I use Beast Academy in several different ways in our school. Whether it's as the main curriculum or as a supplement, students can't get enough of it! They are asking thoughtful questions to each other, they spend time THINKING, and they know that it makes them better mathematicians. Parents are noticing that their kids are excited to talk about math!”

--Samantha Heitke, Advanced Academics Coordinator, Princeton Public Schools (Minn.)

Find more educator perspectives on the Beast Academy website