Magma Math Review
Product by Magma Math
Facts checked: Not yet checked
Our take (not a Learning Standard rating). This label applies to learning-science judgments throughout this overview.
Our take (not a Learning Standard rating)
Magma Math lets students show their mathematical working and gives teachers tools to view and replay submissions. Its practical value depends on the classroom routine around those records. Ask how the teacher uses a student's working to choose feedback, discussion or the next task.
Product information: Magma Math student work and teacher tools
Research review. About this review
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Pros
- Replaces standard multiple-choice testing with digital handwriting to encourage deeper cognitive processing.
- Provides real-time visibility into student work to enable immediate formative assessment by educators.
- Supports productive struggle by forcing learners to articulate their mathematical reasoning step-by-step.
Cons
- Lacks built-in instructional modules for students learning a concept for the first time.
- Relies entirely on teacher intervention to correct foundational misconceptions.
- Does not provide automated worked examples when a student is stuck on a problem.
What Do We Know About Magma Math?
Magma Math is an effective digital workspace for classroom environments, but it is not designed to function as an independent, standalone tutor for your child at home. Instead of feeding students endless multiple-choice questions, the platform requires them to draw, write, and map out their mathematical thinking on a digital canvas. This aligns well with learning science principles regarding productive struggle and cognitive load, as it prevents students from simply guessing answers. Your child will use Magma Math primarily to complete assignments set by their teacher. As they work through problems, the teacher can view their step-by-step process in real-time. This allows educators to spot exactly where a calculation went wrong, rather than just marking the final answer incorrect. However, parents should understand that Magma Math does not teach new concepts through video lessons or automated tutorials. It is an execution and assessment tool. If your child is stuck on a problem, the app will not automatically provide a worked example or a guided walkthrough. It relies on the classroom teacher to facilitate the learning process, making it highly dependent on how it is implemented in your child's school.
How Does Magma Math Work?
Magma Math utilizes an inquiry-based, formative assessment approach where students solve problems on a digital whiteboard to make their thinking visible. The app functions as a digital notebook for mathematics. Teachers assign problem sets mapped to specific grade-level standards. When your child opens an assignment, they do not just type in a final answer. They use a stylus or their finger to write out every step of the equation. Behind the scenes, the platform aggregates this student work into a central dashboard for the teacher. The teacher can project anonymized student solutions onto the classroom board to spark cooperative learning and peer discussion. The mechanics focus heavily on making the invisible cognitive process of math visible. By removing the safety net of multiple-choice guessing, the app forces students to engage in active retrieval practice. The software itself handles the organization and distribution of problems, but the actual pedagogical heavy lifting remains in the hands of the human educator.
Strengths and tradeoffs of Magma Math
Magma Math's biggest strength is its insistence on visible, step-by-step problem solving, while its biggest weakness is its lack of automated, scaffolded instruction for struggling learners. Strengths: The platform brilliantly applies the concept of productive struggle. By forcing students to write out their work, it eliminates the gaming behavior common in multiple-choice educational technology. Learning science shows that when students must generate an answer from scratch through active retrieval rather than recognize it from a list, memory retention improves significantly. Additionally, the real-time dashboard provides teachers with excellent formative assessment data, allowing them to pinpoint exact procedural errors rather than just seeing a wrong answer. Weaknesses: Magma Math is an empty vessel without a teacher. It does not provide worked examples or algorithmic hints when a student is stuck. If a student forgets the steps to long division, the app will not step in to teach them. Furthermore, while digital handwriting is conceptually excellent, technical friction can occasionally occur. If the handwriting recognition software misinterprets a sloppily drawn number, it interrupts the student's cognitive flow and shifts focus from mathematics to interface management.
Who Might Benefit From Magma Math?
Magma Math is best for K-12 math teachers who want to replace paper worksheets with a digital tool that captures the entire student thought process. It serves elementary through high school classrooms effectively by providing equitable ways for students to show their work. It is highly beneficial for schools implementing flipped classrooms or collaborative learning models where analyzing peer mistakes is part of the daily routine. It is not recommended for parents seeking an automated, adaptive math tutor for independent after-school enrichment, as the platform requires educator facilitation to drive learning.
What does Magma Math cost?
$15 per student for 12-month subscription volume and multi-year discounts available, as well as customized pilots.
Pricing and included features can change. Confirm the plan, renewal terms and any school-provided access.
Questions to ask before choosing Magma Math
Use these with a teacher, during a trial, or when comparing another option.
- Can the learner show each step comfortably on the device they will use?
- How does the teacher respond to an incorrect method rather than just a wrong answer?
- Which assignments connect to the topics currently taught in class?
- What work or progress information can families see, and what does the school license include?
Data Transparency
Does Not Meet Data Transparency Standard
Magma Math does not meet our data transparency standard. Its privacy policy does not document basic protections, including limits on sharing children's data and parents' right to see their child's data.
17 of 35 checks passed
Evaluated September 2026
Privacy Policy →Level 1 · Basic protections
Does not sell data or target ads at students, limits sharing, and lets parents see and delete their child's data.
Not documented: limits on sharing children's data, parents' right to see their child's data
Level 2 · Parent control (meets the standard)
Families can get their data out, know who processes it, and know how long it is kept.
Not documented: data export, named service providers, self-service deletion
Level 3 · Direct data access
Families or schools can pull their own data through an API, in a stated format.
Not documented: an API for retrieving their own data, a named export format
View all 35 checks
Parent Access6/8
Does the policy mention parents specifically?
“COPPA and its rules require us to inform parents and legal guardians ("Parents") about our practices for collecting, using, and disclosing personal information from children under the age of 13 ("Children").”
Can parents view their child's data?
The policy lets users view their own account information but does not say parents can view their child's data.
Can parents modify their child's data?
The policy lets users update and correct their own account information but does not say parents can change their child's data.
Can parents delete their child's account?
“Request removal of your or your child’s personal information or Content from our Service”
Is there a dedicated Children's Privacy section?
“2\. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY — COPPA AND NYCDPA”
Does it reference COPPA compliance?
“We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA) and the New York Child Data Protection Act (NYCDPA), which took effect June 20, 2025.”
Does it reference FERPA compliance?
“This Privacy Policy and our Service are designed to meet our responsibilities to protect personal information from the students' educational records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”).”
Is parental consent required for child accounts?
“It also requires us to obtain verifiable consent from a child's Parent, or to confirm that the child's teacher has obtained verifiable consent from such child's Parent, for certain collection, use, and disclosure of the child's personal information.”
Data Portability1/5
Can users access their personal data?
“View, update and correct your account and personal information”
Can users download/export their data?
The policy does not address downloading or exporting data.
Is there a self-service data access tool?
The policy does not describe a self-service tool for accessing data.
Is a specific data format mentioned for export?
The policy does not name any export format.
Is there an API for data access?
The policy does not mention an API for accessing data.
Data Minimization2/6
Is data collection itemized?
“Students, including children, must provide us with a first name, last name, username, and password to create and verify an account.”
Can the app be used without a real name?
The policy says students must provide a first and last name, either themselves or through their teacher.
Can the app be used without an email?
The policy does not state that student email addresses are never collected.
Does it state collection is limited to what is necessary?
“We only collect as much information about a child as is reasonably necessary for the child to participate in an activity, and we do not condition his or her participation on the disclosure of more personal information than is reasonably necessary.”
Is IP address anonymized or truncated?
The policy says it collects IP addresses but does not say they are anonymized or truncated.
Is location tracking explicitly excluded?
The policy does not explicitly rule out location tracking.
Third-Party Protection4/7
Does it explicitly state no selling of data?
“We will not share, sell, rent or transfer any user’s personal or account information with third parties other than as described here.”
Are third-party providers named?
The policy links to a separate list of operators but does not name any third-party providers itself.
Are providers contractually restricted?
“To third parties we use to support the internal operations of our Service and who are bound by contractual or other obligations to use the information only for such purposes and to keep the information confidential.”
No-targeted-advertising commitment?
“We do not allow advertising companies to collect data through our service for ad targeting, nor do we collect, use or sell your information on behalf of or for advertising companies.”
Is AI/ML data sharing addressed?
The policy does not address AI or machine learning.
Child-specific sharing restriction?
The policy's sharing limits apply to all users and have no child-specific sharing restriction.
Cookies/tracking limited or opt-out?
“We will respect your choices relating to online tracking, whether you choose to reject individual cookies or set your web browser to reject cookies and other tracking technology.”
Deletion & Retention3/5
Can users delete their account?
“if you terminate your account, we will delete your account, including your first name, last name, username, and password, within thirty (30) days of receiving your termination request.”
Self-service deletion mechanism?
The policy says deletion is done on request by emailing legal@magmamath.com and describes no self-service mechanism.
Specific data retention timeline?
“if you terminate your account, we will delete your account, including your first name, last name, username, and password, within thirty (30) days of receiving your termination request.”
Auto-deletion of inactive accounts?
The policy does not address automatic deletion of inactive accounts.
Post-deletion handling described?
“In some circumstances we will anonymize your personal information (so that it can no longer be associated with you) for research or statistical purposes, in which case we may use this information indefinitely without further notice to you.”
Advertising1/4
Advertising model explicitly disclosed?
The policy limits ad targeting by advertising companies but does not explicitly say whether the product shows ads.
Free from third-party advertisements?
The policy does not explicitly say the product is free of third-party ads.
Children excluded from ad targeting?
“We do not allow advertising companies to collect data through our service for ad targeting, nor do we collect, use or sell your information on behalf of or for advertising companies.”
Ad-free option available?
The policy does not say the product is ad-free or offer an ad-free option.
What This Means
The policy review did not meet our data transparency standard. The checks above show the documented findings and unknowns. A missing statement does not establish how the app handles data in practice.
About this evaluation: Based on automated analysis of Privacy Policy against 35 policy-disclosure questions, including questions adapted from the Common Sense Privacy Program's published evaluation questions. TLS is not affiliated with Common Sense Media, and this is not a Common Sense rating. Quoted text is copied from the policy; unquoted notes are our summary. Results describe what the policy documents, not the company's actual practices. Privacy policies can change: this review reflects the version we analyzed and does not determine legal compliance.
Sources and review method
TLS combines product information and editorial analysis to explain how Magma Math works, its tradeoffs, and the questions to ask before choosing it. Product features, an instructional rationale and evidence of learning outcomes are different kinds of information.
Formal Learning Standard assessment: not yet completed. Data Transparency findings are reported separately and do not establish learning effectiveness. Read our methodology.
The sources below support the opening take and decision questions. Provider descriptions establish advertised features, not independently measured learning outcomes.
- Magma Math student work and teacher toolsProduct information · Source checked 2026-09-04
Source-check dates apply to these links, not to every statement in the existing editorial or to a new formal assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Magma Math
Is Magma Math free?
No, Magma Math is not free. It costs approximately $15 per student for an annual subscription. Volume discounts and multi-year pricing are available for schools and districts that purchase licenses in bulk.
Is Magma Math good for elementary students?
Yes, Magma Math is appropriate for elementary students, though younger users may need time to adapt to writing digitally on a tablet screen. It covers academic standards starting from the 1st grade through early college levels.
What does Magma Math teach?
Magma Math covers mathematics, applied science, and career and technical education. However, it does not explicitly teach concepts via independent lessons. Instead, it provides a rigorous digital platform for students to practice and show their work on concepts already introduced by their classroom teacher.
Magma Math vs Khan Academy: Which is better?
Khan Academy is better for independent student learning at home because it provides instructional videos, worked examples, and adaptive hints. Magma Math is better for formal classroom environments where teachers specifically want to review the exact handwritten steps a student took to solve a problem.
Has The Learning Standard evaluated Magma Math?
TLS has not yet completed a Learning Standard evaluation of how well Magma Math teaches. Its privacy policy has been reviewed for Data Transparency and does not yet document the basic protections (Level 1).
Is Magma Math COPPA compliant?
The reviewed privacy policy references COPPA. A policy reference alone does not establish COPPA compliance. Policy review note: The policy says it complies with COPPA.
Is Magma Math FERPA compliant?
The reviewed privacy policy references FERPA. A policy reference alone does not establish FERPA compliance. Policy review note: The policy says it is designed to meet FERPA obligations.
Does Magma Math have a children's privacy policy?
The reviewed policy includes a dedicated children's privacy section. Policy review note: The policy has its own section headed Children's Privacy.
Does Magma Math sell student data?
The reviewed policy states that the app does not sell data. This is a policy statement; actual data practices were not verified. Policy review note: The company says it will not sell users' personal information, and none of the described disclosures is a sale.
Can you delete your data from Magma Math?
The reviewed privacy policy describes account deletion. We have not tested the deletion process. Policy review note: Users can terminate their account and have it deleted.
Keep the Magma Math decision brief
Subscribe to future TLS research updates and get a one-page guide to the key tradeoffs, questions to ask, and details to check before you choose. Download it here immediately.
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- Pricing
- $15 per student for 12-month subscription volume and multi-year discounts available, as well as customized pilots.
- Platforms
- iPadOS (Apple tablet), Android (Google mobile), Windows (Microsoft), macOS (Apple), Chrome OS (Google), Other
- Grade Levels
- 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, Associate's degree
- Website
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