Synthesis Tutor

Synthesis Tutor is a math tutoring app for children aged 5 to 11, made by Synthesis School, Inc. It belongs on the learner side of this directory: a parent signs a child up, and the child works one-on-one with an on-screen tutor at their own pace, at home or in a homeschool. The home page sums it up as "Your child's personal math tutor," describing the tutor as "Warm, patient, encouraging" and promising that it "adapts to your child, so you never have to worry about them falling behind." Schools, classrooms, homeschooling pods and districts can also use it through a Teams option for educators.

The company's story is told on the same page by cofounder Josh Dahn: "In 2014, Elon Musk asked me to start an experimental school with him at SpaceX." The goal, he writes, was to develop students "enthralled by complexity and solving for the unknown," and Synthesis "offers the most innovative learning experiences from that school." Until recently, he adds, Synthesis was only available to a handful of SpaceX families. The page says more than 35,000 families now use it.

What the child does

Each session is a one-on-one lesson with the tutor rather than a video or a worksheet. The page describes "patient, immediate, tailored guidance for every problem in every lesson," with the aim that the child feels they are "learning with a real teacher." Mistakes are expected: the tutor surfaces them and targets the gaps they reveal with customized instruction.

The lessons are built around hands-on, multisensory interaction. The site says the tutor "engages all of the senses and invites students to take action," and describes the aim as turning math into hands-on play. The feature list names adaptation to the child's ability, immediate evaluation and adaptation, a familiar learning environment, active engagement, fun and gamified lessons, progress reports, and an approach that is "Hands-off for parents and teachers." A sample lesson video on the page shows how children learn fractions.

Coverage is spelled out: Synthesis Tutor "covers the standard K-5 math curriculum, and goes much further." The topics named are Counting & Cardinality, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Fractions and Algebraic Thinking, among others. The FAQ adds that while the program is built for ages 5 to 11, the company has seen success with younger children who need enrichment and older ones who need extra support, and that it works whether a child is struggling, advanced or on grade level.

Progress is checked continuously rather than through a single test. According to the FAQ, the system evaluates progress in real time with "micro-assessments" in every lesson, and a child moves on in a lesson or unit "once they demonstrate they have understood and mastered the material being taught." Parents see the results in progress reports.

How it uses AI

The FAQ answers this directly. Synthesis Tutor uses AI where appropriate, but the company relies on its team of expert educators and neuroscientists to handle much of the pedagogy and the interactive experiences, and says it reviews the lessons so that it does "not simply outsource your child's education teaching to an LLM." For parents wary of a chatbot teaching their child, that is the relevant distinction: the lessons are designed by people, with AI in a supporting role.

Access, reading support and languages

Synthesis Tutor runs on an iPad through the App Store and on a desktop or laptop computer, including Chromebooks. The FAQ says Android tablet support "is currently in the works."

Young children do not need to read to use it. For users under 7, all text and answer choices are read aloud automatically; read-aloud can be switched on or off for any user in the settings menu, and the tutor's voice speed can be adjusted there too. The tutor is available in English and Spanish, the company says it is adding other languages, and it invites families to request the language they want.

The FAQ also addresses neurodiverse learners. It names dyslexia, dyscalculia, ASD, ADHD and 2E (twice exceptional), says the tutor is "highly effective at making math relatable, understandable, and fun" for them, and states that its "most passionate and pleased customers are those with neurodiverse and neuro-atypical children." These are the company's own claims, drawn from what it hears from parents. One parent on the page, Jane's mom, writes that "Synthesis is great for her because she needs the multi-sensory approach."

The site footer links to Terms of Service, COPPA and Privacy & Security pages.

Plans and prices

Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, and the page states "No credit card necessary." The pricing section has a toggle between one child and a family:

• Individual, for one student: $45 a month, $29 a month on the annual plan ($348 a year, marked Most Popular), or a one-time lifetime payment of $999.
• Family, for up to 10 students: $70 a month, $33.33 a month on the annual plan ($400 a year, marked Most Popular), or a one-time lifetime payment of $1,499.

The same section also shows offer cards with lower figures. For one child, a monthly card shows $35 a month ($10 off the $45 price) and an annual card shows $25 a month, $300 a year billed annually. For up to 7 kids, cards show $29 a month or $119 a year. With two sets of numbers on one page, the price at checkout is the one to rely on. The home page frames the cost as "Immediate results for less than $1/day." Schools and classrooms register interest through a form.

Beyond the tutor, the Synthesis site offers Gift Tutor, a free adaptive flashcards tool and a separate Synthesis program of games for ages 8 to 14 about leadership and decision-making.

Who it suits

Synthesis Tutor fits parents of children aged 5 to 11 who want math practice the child can do alone, with a patient tutor that adjusts to their level and reports back. Homeschooling families get a sequence covering K-5 math with continuous assessment, and the family plan covers up to 10 students. Parents of emerging readers benefit from the automatic read-aloud for under-7s. Families of neurodiverse children are a group the company says it serves especially well. Spanish-speaking households can use the Spanish version.

It suits older students less, since the core range ends at age 11. Families who want a live human tutor should know the tutor here is software, designed by educators but delivered on screen. Android tablet users will need a computer or iPad for now. And because the pricing section shows two sets of figures, parents should confirm the amount at checkout.