What Reviewers Say

Reviewers consistently describe Mentava as a high-intensity reading tool that demands significant mental effort from young students. Sources such as OpenEd and Dustin Coates Blog highlight the program's efficiency in developing independent readers and teaching persistence, though both emphasize the high cost of the subscription. According to Podtail, the curriculum can rapidly accelerate progress for toddlers, while a review in the Apple App Store notes that the lessons provide genuine mental stimulation rather than intellectual junk food. Medium specifically praises technical features like the vocal waveform graph for helping children master sound blending. However, Pictures Are For Babies offers a critical perspective, arguing that the program relies on outdated phonics methods and that gamification may mask a lack of true fluency. While Dustin Coates Blog suggests the results justify the premium price, Pictures Are For Babies warns that students might appear to decode successfully without developing essential phonemic awareness.

How It Works

A child sits at a tablet or computer for 15 to 20 minutes each day to engage with the software’s adaptive reading or math lessons. The parent’s primary role is to set up the device and ensure the child stays on task, as the AI-driven system handles all the instruction and provides immediate feedback when the child makes a mistake. There are no physical workbooks or manipulatives involved; the entire curriculum is contained within the digital interface, which uses gamified rewards to keep young children motivated. A typical week involves five to seven of these short sessions, allowing the child to build a daily habit of high-speed, repetitive practice that leads to rapid mastery.

Switching to This?

Mentava uses a built-in diagnostic assessment when a child first logs in, so there is no need for external placement tests or pre-purchased levels. Families can start the program at any time during the year because the software is entirely self-paced and does not follow a traditional classroom calendar. If you are switching from a paper-based program like Kumon, expect your child to move through material much faster, though you may need to monitor them closely at first to manage the increased screen time. The community rule of thumb is to start children as early as age three, provided they have the focus for a short, daily digital session.

Curriculum Details

Price

$49 - $499

$499 per year for the reading program; monthly options occasionally available at $49/month.

Grades

PRE-K - 2

Available As

Digital Mobile App

Coverage

Single subject

Subjects

Reading/Language Arts Math

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Pacing

Self-paced

Parent Time

5-15 min/day

Student Independence

Semi-independent

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Academic Level

Advanced

Worldview

Secular

Engaging for Reluctant Learners

Yes

Reviews We Consulted

Updated: March 2026

How This Compares

Compared to Reading Eggs, which offers a wide variety of exploratory games and activities, Mentava is much more targeted and efficient, making it the preferred choice for parents who prioritize rapid progress over variety. When weighed against Kumon, Mentava eliminates the need for parents to manually grade stacks of paper worksheets because the AI handles all corrections and progress tracking automatically. Parents often choose Mentava over Hooked on Phonics because the software teaches the blending of sounds independently, whereas Hooked on Phonics usually requires a parent to sit and read along with the child for every lesson. Against free apps like Khan Academy Kids, Mentava represents a significant financial investment, but it provides a more rigorous and structured path toward early literacy rather than general educational play. Finally, while many apps focus solely on engagement, Mentava is often described as a 'hothousing' tool by the community, meaning it is designed for parents who want to accelerate their child's academic timeline rather than those following a slower, Waldorf-style approach.

Getting Started