Beta

You're looking at the private beta of SparkyEd. It's free while we test. We'd love your feedback at beta@sparkyed.com — what works, what breaks, what surprised your student.

SparkyEd Beta Tester Program

Thanks for helping us test SparkyEd. This page walks you through how the app coaches your student, how to set it up, and how to get problems in front of Sparky — whether they're on a screen or on paper.

Session data stays on your computerCOPPA-aligned privacy architecturePrivacy PolicyTerms of Service

How does SparkyEd work?

Three things make SparkyEd different from the AI tools your student already knows: it coaches instead of answering, it's built for spoken back-and-forth, and it flexes to wherever your student takes the conversation.

It coaches. It doesn't answer.

Every other AI tool will hand over the answer the moment your student asks. Sparky won't.

Any general AI tool
Can you solve 2x + 5 = 13 for me?
S
Sure! Subtract 5 from both sides: 2x = 8. Divide by 2: x = 4.

Homework done. Nothing learned.

SparkyEd
Can you solve 2x + 5 = 13 for me?
S
Let's work through it together. What would you do first to get the x by itself?
Subtract 5 from both sides?
S
Exactly right. So what does each side become?

They figured it out. That's the whole point.

It listens. It talks back.

When students verbalize their reasoning, the act of speaking out loud helps them retain more and perform better on follow-up problems. Psychologists call this the production effect: information that is spoken is encoded more distinctly in memory than information that is only read silently. SparkyEd is built for voice from the ground up, so every session puts this effect to work.

Text-only tutoring
I don't get why we move the 5 over...
S
You use inverse operations to isolate x.
ok
S

Read it. Forget it.

SparkyEd, voice enabled
I don't get why we move the 5 over…
S
Good question. Say it back to me. What's the goal when we solve for x?
Get x alone on one side?
S
Exactly. So what do you do to the 5 to get it out of the way?

Said out loud. Actually understood.

Talking through a problem isn't just convenient. It's how the learning actually sticks.

MacLeod et al. (2010). “The production effect: Delineation of a phenomenon.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 36(3), 671–685.Chi et al. (1994). “Eliciting self-explanations improves understanding.” Cognitive Science, 18(3), 439–477.

It rolls with whatever your student asks.

A real tutoring session moves around. Sparky goes wherever your student takes it: clarifying notation, explaining the why, trying a different framing, or just turning up the help when they're truly stuck.

Asking about a detail
Wait, what does this little negative sign in front of the parenthesis actually do?
S
It flips the sign of everything inside. Try this: pick any two numbers in the parentheses, then apply the negative. What do you notice happens to each one?
Asking why
But why does multiplying both sides by the same number keep the equation equal?
S
Picture a balance scale. The equals sign is the pivot in the middle. If you double what's sitting on the left side, the right side has to double too, or the whole thing tips. The rule isn't arbitrary, it's the only way the balance stays true.
Asking for a different angle
I don't really get the balance thing. Can you explain it a different way?
S
Sure. Think of the equation like a recipe written in two halves. Whatever you do to one half of the recipe, you have to do to the other half, or the recipe stops working. Same idea, fewer scales.
Asking for a stronger hint
I'm still stuck on the first step. Can you give me a bigger hint?
S
Of course. Look at the 5 sitting next to the 2x. What operation is keeping it stuck there? Once you name the operation, you'll know exactly what to undo first.

Same Sparky, four different kinds of question. The conversation goes where the student needs it to go.

How to use SparkyEd

Six steps from signup to your student's first session with Sparky.

  1. 1

    Sign up and get approved

    Submit the signup form on this page. An admin reviews each beta tester before activating your account — you'll get an email the moment you're approved. You can also sign back in any time to see your status.

  2. 2

    Install the SparkyEd desktop app

    Once you're approved, head to the download page and install SparkyEd. On Mac, open the DMG and drag SparkyEd into your Applications folder, then launch it from there. Windows is shipping next; if you're on Windows, you'll see a waitlist option and we'll email you the moment the installer is ready.

  3. 3

    Pick your AI: let SparkyEd handle it, or bring your own keys

    Two ways to power the tutor, chosen on first launch. Managed: SparkyEd handles all the AI for you — there's nothing to set up beyond signing in, and you never touch an API key. Conversations route through SparkyEd's servers to the AI providers; we log only usage counts, never the conversation content. Bring your own keys: the setup wizard walks you through connecting your own Claude (Anthropic) and ElevenLabs accounts — both free to create, with API usage billed to you directly by each provider, and your child's conversations going straight from your computer to those providers.

  4. 4

    Use the browser extension for online homework (Chrome or Safari)

    The SparkyEd Browser Connector reads the problem straight off the page so coaching stays grounded in what your student is actually working on — no screenshot wrangling. On Chrome, install it from the Chrome Web Store. On Safari, it comes bundled with the Mac app — just enable it in Safari's Extensions settings. Either browser works with iReady, Khan Academy, IXL, Desmos, Big Ideas Math, Mathspace, and DeltaMath.

  5. 5

    Snap a photo of a worksheet using the QR code

    For paper worksheets or sites the extension doesn't cover, click the camera icon in the SparkyEd panel header. A QR code appears. Scan it with your phone's camera, take a photo of the worksheet, and the image goes straight to SparkyEd — no app to install on your phone, no AirDrop, no email. The pairing lives for five minutes so each upload is its own session.

  6. 6

    Send us feedback

    Anything you notice — confusion during setup, surprising wins, mistakes the tutor made, slow responses, missing features. Email beta@sparkyed.com. Real feedback shapes what ships next.

Privacy

Built for families who read the privacy policy.

Most apps say they care about your privacy. SparkyEd is designed so the question barely applies. Session history lives on your computer, not our servers. With bring-your-own keys, tutoring sessions go directly from your computer to Anthropic and ElevenLabs and we never touch them; with a managed plan they pass through our servers only to reach those same providers, and we keep usage counts for billing, never the conversation. Either way, we collect only what's needed to run your account. Nothing else.

No server storage

Session history lives on your computer, not ours.

No data sales

We don't have your child's data to sell.

Delete everything

One button. Account, sessions, profiles: permanently gone.

Questions beta testers ask

What is the beta test?

SparkyEd is in private beta. We're building a math tutor that won't just hand over the answer, and we want to make sure it actually helps real students before opening it up to the world. As a beta tester you get free access in exchange for your feedback on what works, what breaks, and what's confusing.

How do I get in?

Sign up below. An admin reviews each beta signup before activating the account. Once you're approved, you'll be able to download the app and start using it. We'll let you know if there's a wait.

Do I need my own Claude and ElevenLabs accounts?

Only if you want them. With a managed plan, SparkyEd handles all the AI for you — nothing to set up, no keys to manage. If you'd rather bring your own keys, the setup wizard walks you through connecting your own Claude (Anthropic) and ElevenLabs accounts in about 10 minutes; both are free to create and the providers bill you directly. With bring-your-own, sessions go straight from your computer to the providers and we never see them; with a managed plan they route through our servers to the providers and we log only usage counts for billing, never the conversation itself.

My child already uses AI for homework. How is this different?

SparkyEd is built around a single constraint: it will not give your child the answer. When they ask "just tell me the answer," Sparky redirects every time. The tutor is trained to ask the question that gets your child one step closer, and to adjust when they're frustrated, guessing, or genuinely stuck. It's the difference between a calculator and a coach.

What computers does SparkyEd run on?

SparkyEd runs on Mac today, and the Windows version is shipping soon. After you sign up and get approved, the download page will give you the right version for your computer, or hold your spot for Windows if you need it.

Can I see what my child is working on?

Yes. The parent dashboard shows every session: which problems were attempted, what concepts came up, how many hints were used, and how long your student worked. You can also adjust how much help Sparky offers, from minimal nudges to fuller walkthroughs.

What kind of feedback are you looking for?

Anything. What confused you during setup. What your student said when they used it. Mistakes the tutor made. Moments where it actually helped. Bugs, crashes, slow responses, missing features. Send it all to beta@sparkyed.com.

Help us build a math tutor worth using.

Free during beta. Admin approves each signup before activation.

Join the beta