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Using Khan Academy Effectively in an Australian Classroom

How to leverage Khan Academy's maths and science content alongside Australian curriculum without letting videos replace teaching.

ASR
Australian School Resources
11 February 2025 · Year 4-8 · Maths

Khan Academy offers brilliant step-by-step instruction in maths concepts. Sal Khan's explanations are clear, visual, and accessible. But Khan Academy is American-focused and was designed as a supplement, not a replacement for teaching.

Homework (or in-class): Students watch a 5-8 minute Khan Academy video on a maths concept (e.g., converting fractions to decimals).

Class Time: Students come in already knowing the basics. You spend time on practice, checking misconceptions, problem-solving, and real-world applications. Class time is active, not passive.

A student was absent when you taught multiplication. Rather than re-teaching to one child, direct them to a Khan video, then meet with them to clarify and check understanding. Efficient use of your time.

Khan Academy tracks which concepts each student has mastered and recommends practice problems. This is powerful for differentiation. A student working on Year 5 fractions but struggling can revisit Year 4 foundational videos without shame.

Khan Academy platform
1

Khan Academy

Free maths and science videos with personalised practice and teacher dashboards. US curriculum-aligned.

FreeMaths

Khan Academy doesn't perfectly align to Australian Curriculum. Topics are sometimes named differently, and some Australian content (Indigenous perspectives, local contexts) isn't there. Use Khan as a tool, not the curriculum.

If students log in through a teacher account, you see their progress. You can see which concepts they've mastered, which they're struggling with, and which they've skipped. Use this data to guide your teaching focus.

Don't assign hours of Khan homework. A 5-10 minute video plus 10 minutes of practice is enough. Overloading kills engagement.

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