ST Math
Product by MIND Education
The Bottom Line
Partially. ST Math leverages spatial-temporal reasoning to build conceptual math understanding without relying on language, making it highly accessible. However, because The Learning Standard has not yet evaluated its specific efficacy data against our rubric, we cannot definitively guarantee its outcomes until a full review is complete.
Keep the ST Math decision brief
Share the difference between the two progress measures, three questions and a ready-to-send message so caregivers celebrate the milestone and make the next decision together. Subscribe to future TLS research updates and download the one-page PDF here immediately.
Pros
- Uses spatial-temporal puzzles to build conceptual understanding before introducing mathematical symbols.
- Removes language barriers by relying entirely on visual feedback rather than written instructions.
- Enforces mastery-based progression by requiring students to solve puzzles perfectly before advancing.
- Provides immediate, animated visual feedback showing exactly why an answer failed to help students adjust their mental models.
Cons
- Lacks explicit direct instruction or worked examples to help students who become completely stuck.
- Frustration can run high because the game refuses to offer hints or text-based explanations.
- Teachers and parents must actively monitor dashboards to identify when a student is mathematically stuck.
- Pricing and access are typically restricted to school district purchases rather than individual family subscriptions.
What Do We Know About ST Math?
ST Math is an effective supplemental tool for building conceptual math skills, though its strict lack of written instructions can frustrate some learners. The program strips away language entirely, forcing your child to figure out mathematical concepts through trial, error, and visual feedback. When your child guides the penguin mascot, JiJi, across the screen, they are actually engaging in productive struggle and spatial-temporal reasoning. This approach is excellent for students who struggle with word problems or have language processing difficulties. However, because the app relies strictly on discovery learning rather than direct instruction, your child will not receive a worked example or a textual explanation if they fail. They must observe the visual animation of their failure to understand what went wrong. Parents must be prepared to ask guiding questions rather than just giving the answer, as the app is designed to build rigorous problem-solving persistence. The Learning Standard has not yet fully evaluated ST Math against our rubric, but its foundation in cognitive science aligns well with established principles of visual learning.
How Does ST Math Work?
ST Math uses a mastery-based, visual discovery approach to teach mathematics through spatial-temporal puzzles. Your child begins by interacting with visual models on the screen, manipulating objects to clear a path for the character JiJi. There are no written instructions, verbal prompts, or traditional numbers in the early stages. Instead, the game relies on immediate, animated feedback. If your child makes a mistake, the animation plays out their exact logic, showing physically why the solution failed. This mechanic forces the brain to reconcile the expected outcome with the actual outcome, a process deeply rooted in schema building. As your child demonstrates mastery by solving these visual puzzles consistently, the program gradually introduces traditional mathematical symbols and equations. Students cannot skip ahead or guess their way through; the mastery-based progression requires strict completion of a level before unlocking the next concept.
Strengths and tradeoffs of ST Math
ST Math's biggest strength is its ability to teach rigorous mathematical concepts entirely without language, while its biggest weakness is the lack of scaffolds or worked examples for students who reach a state of absolute frustration. Visual Schema Building: By removing language, ST Math reduces cognitive load related to reading, allowing the brain's working memory to focus entirely on spatial-temporal reasoning. This ensures that math concepts are internalized visually before symbolic abstraction occurs. Immediate Visual Feedback: The app excels at formative feedback. Instead of just marking an answer wrong, it animates the student's incorrect logic, helping them adjust their mental model. Productive Struggle vs. Frustration: The deliberate omission of hints relies heavily on the concept of productive struggle. However, learning science dictates that when cognitive overload occurs, learners benefit from worked examples. ST Math refuses to provide these, meaning a student can get permanently stuck unless a parent or teacher intervenes. Mastery Progression: The strict requirement to clear levels perfectly ensures no foundational gaps are left behind, but this rigid pacing can demoralize students who only need minor conceptual corrections. Note that ST Math is currently pending evaluation by The Learning Standard.
Who Might Benefit From ST Math?
ST Math is best for PreK-8 students who benefit from visual learning and struggle with the language demands of traditional math instruction. Because it removes reading barriers, it is highly effective for English language learners and students with dyslexia. It is also an excellent tool for standard classroom environments where educators want to build deeper conceptual understanding alongside traditional procedural math. Since the program requires high frustration tolerance and independent problem-solving, it is less suited for students who need explicit step-by-step instruction or frequent verbal encouragement.
Data Transparency
Does Not Meet Data Transparency Standard
ST Math does not meet our data transparency standard. Its privacy policy lacks a dedicated children's privacy section.
17 of 35 checks passed
Evaluated April 2026
View privacy policy →View all 35 checks
Parent Access7/8
Does the policy mention parents specifically?
“Parents / legal guardians, and Students aged 13 and above may review the personally identifying information”
Can parents view their child's data?
“Parents, legal guardians, and Students... may review the personally identifying information contained in Student Records”
Can parents modify their child's data?
“and may have us correct any erroneous Student Records.”
Can parents delete their child's account?
“We will terminate use and storage of any personal information... following written request from their parent or legal guardian.”
Is there a dedicated Children's Privacy section?
“The policy does not have a dedicated 'Children's Privacy' section, though student privacy is discussed throughout.”
Does it reference COPPA compliance?
“the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (15 U.S.C. Secs. 6501 – 6506) (“COPPA”)”
Does it reference FERPA compliance?
“federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g) (“FERPA”)”
Is parental consent required for child accounts?
“unless we have received consent directly from such Student, if aged 13 or above, or the Student’s parent or legal guardian”
Data Portability2/5
Can users access their personal data?
“Visitors may review, update and/or correct your contact or other personal information at any time”
Can users download/export their data?
“The policy does not mention users being able to download or export their data.”
Is there a self-service data access tool?
“you will be provided limited access to your account information to update and/or correct the personal information”
Is a specific data format mentioned for export?
“The policy does not specify any formats for data export.”
Is there an API for data access?
“The policy does not mention API access to data.”
Data Minimization1/6
Is data collection itemized?
“the Student’s legal name; name of the Student’s teacher; name of the course in which the Software is used...”
Can the app be used without a real name?
“The policy lists 'the Student’s legal name' under collected Student Records and does not specify it can be used without it.”
Can the app be used without an email?
“The policy does not explicitly state that the app can be used without providing an email address.”
Does it state collection is limited to what is necessary?
“The policy does not explicitly state that data collection is limited to only what is strictly necessary.”
Is IP address anonymized or truncated?
“The policy mentions logging Internet addresses but does not explicitly state they are truncated or anonymized.”
Is location tracking explicitly excluded?
“The policy does not explicitly exclude location tracking.”
Third-Party Protection5/7
Does it explicitly state no selling of data?
“MIND Education does not provide, sell, trade, or rent personally identifiable information.”
Are third-party providers named?
“A list of categories of third-party service providers... is available upon request.”
Are providers contractually restricted?
“We require all service providers acting as our data processors to: - Use the information solely to provide services”
No-targeted-advertising commitment?
“we will not utilize any personally identifiable information in Student Records for the purposes of targeted advertising.”
Is AI/ML data sharing addressed?
“The policy does not address data sharing for AI or machine learning models.”
Child-specific sharing restriction?
“We will not use or share any personal or sensitive information contained in Student Records for commercial purposes”
Cookies/tracking limited or opt-out?
“Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but if you prefer, you can set your computer to not accept cookies.”
Deletion & Retention1/5
Can users delete their account?
“We will terminate use and storage of any personal information contained in Student Records... following written notice”
Self-service deletion mechanism?
“Deletion requires sending a written notice/request to privacy@mindeducation.org.”
Specific data retention timeline?
“de-identified or deleted in a reasonable period of time after the relationship... has been terminated.”
Auto-deletion of inactive accounts?
“The policy does not mention auto-deletion of inactive accounts.”
Post-deletion handling described?
“The policy does not describe how backups or residual data are handled post-deletion.”
Advertising1/4
Advertising model explicitly disclosed?
“The policy does not disclose an advertising model, other than stating it does not use student records for targeted ads.”
Free from third-party advertisements?
“The policy does not explicitly state the app is completely free from all third-party advertisements.”
Children excluded from ad targeting?
“we will not utilize any personally identifiable information in Student Records for the purposes of targeted advertising.”
Ad-free option available?
“The policy does not mention an ad-free option or premium ad-free tier.”
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 ST Math's privacy policy using the Common Sense Privacy Program framework. Results describe the policy disclosures we assessed; unknown checks are excluded from scores. 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 ST 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.
Frequently Asked Questions About ST Math
Is ST Math free?
No, ST Math is not free for individual use. It is primarily sold directly to schools and districts as a supplemental curriculum. Pricing varies based on the size of the implementation, and parents typically access it for free only if their child's school has purchased a license.
Is ST Math good for elementary students?
Yes, ST Math is highly effective for elementary students in PreK through 5th grade, as well as middle schoolers up to 8th grade. Its visual puzzle format is especially engaging for younger learners, helping them grasp complex fractions and algebraic concepts intuitively before they ever see an equation.
What does ST Math teach?
ST Math teaches foundational to advanced PreK-8 mathematics, including number sense, fractions, geometry, and early algebra. Rather than teaching rote memorization or procedural formulas, it focuses entirely on conceptual understanding through spatial-temporal reasoning and problem-solving puzzles.
Is ST Math safe for kids?
Yes, ST Math is completely safe for kids. It operates in a closed ecosystem with no chat features, no social media integration, and no in-app purchases. It is fully compliant with student data privacy laws like FERPA and COPPA when used through a school district.
Does ST Math provide direct instruction?
No, ST Math does not provide direct instruction, lectures, or written explanations. It relies entirely on a discovery-based learning model. If you want an app that explicitly teaches step-by-step math procedures, ST Math will not meet that need.
How does The Learning Standard rate ST Math?
ST Math is currently pending evaluation. We have not yet assigned it a formal rating. When evaluated, it will be assessed using our rigorous [methodology](/methodology) that checks for evidence of learning science principles like spacing, retrieval practice, and cognitive load management.
Is ST Math COPPA compliant?
The reviewed privacy policy references COPPA. A policy reference alone does not establish COPPA compliance. Policy review note: the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (15 U.S.C. Secs. 6501 – 6506) (“COPPA”)
Is ST Math FERPA compliant?
The reviewed privacy policy references FERPA. A policy reference alone does not establish FERPA compliance. Policy review note: federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g) (“FERPA”)
Does ST Math have a children's privacy policy?
No dedicated children's privacy section was found in the reviewed policy. Policy review note: The policy does not have a dedicated 'Children's Privacy' section, though student privacy is discussed throughout.
Does ST 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: MIND Education does not provide, sell, trade, or rent personally identifiable information.
Can you delete your data from ST Math?
The reviewed privacy policy describes account deletion. We have not tested the deletion process. Policy review note: We will terminate use and storage of any personal information contained in Student Records... following written notice
Keep the ST Math decision brief
Share the difference between the two progress measures, three questions and a ready-to-send message so caregivers celebrate the milestone and make the next decision together. Subscribe to future TLS research updates and download the one-page PDF here immediately.
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- Pricing
- Pricing varies - contact MIND Education, creators of ST Math for more information.
- Platforms
- iOS (Apple mobile), iPadOS (Apple tablet), Windows (Microsoft), macOS (Apple), Chrome OS (Google)
- Grade Levels
- Prekindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade
- Website
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