Hi Ada. Here's a quick guide for the things kids ask about most. Tap any section to open it.
How do I make Nova talk?
Nova reads every new response out loud as soon as it lands. If you don't hear her, look for the Voice on / Muted chip at the top of the tutor page — tap it to switch.
Each message also has a Read again button right under it. Tap that any time to hear that message again.
On iPad, Apple needs you to tap the Start lesson button on the first page so Nova can speak. Just tap once and she'll talk for the rest of the session.
Nova is talking but I can't hear her
- Check the volume on your iPad (the side switches or Control Center).
- Make sure you tapped Start lesson on the tutor page — Apple won't let websites talk until you tap something first.
- Look for the Muted chip — if it's showing, tap it to switch to Voice on.
- If headphones are plugged in, the sound is going there.
What do the math symbols on the avatar mean?
Nova shows up as one of four math-symbol characters. You picked yours in the About me page:
- π (Pi) — the wise teacher
- Σ (Sigma) — the energetic adder
- √ (Radical) — the calm thinker
- ∞ (Infinity) — the cosmic dreamer
They all do the exact same thing — they're just different looks. You can change yours any time on the About me page.
What does each button on the tutor page do?
- 💡 Hint — Nova drops a small clue that doesn't give the answer.
- Easier one — drops the difficulty for the next problem. No shame.
- Got it, more — keeps you on this concept with a fresh problem.
- Harder — bumps the difficulty. Use when you're feeling sharp.
- Wait, I'm confused — pauses and asks Nova to re-explain in a different way.
- Something's wrong — flags the problem if it looks broken or has a typo. We auto-pull bad problems out of the bank.
On a laptop you can press H for hint, E for easier, G for "got it, more", M to mute, and Esc to stop Nova from reading.
How do I move Nova around the screen?
Nova flies around the screen on her own when she's not talking. If she's blocking something, just drag her with your finger to wherever you want. She'll stay there for a few seconds, then start floating again.
If you tap her, she'll stop reading — useful when you want quiet.
How do I draw a bar model?
On the tutor page, look for the pencil button in the bottom-right corner. Tap it to open the drawing pad. You can:
- Pen — freehand drawing
- Bar — drag to draw a rectangle (pick a color first)
- Label — drop a text label you can edit
- Erase — wipe out parts you don't want
Tap Done when you're finished to close the pad.
I want to change my name, voice, or PIN
Everything's on the About me page. You can change your name, gender, voice, mascot, and PIN there. Save the changes at the bottom and they take effect right away.
Nova said something that doesn't make sense
Nova is a robot — she gets things wrong sometimes. Two things help:
- If she generated a bad problem, tap 🚩 Something's wrong and pick the closest reason. We auto-pull problems with three flags.
- If she said something off in chat (wrong fact, confusing wording, weird tone), just tell her — "wait, that's not right" or "I don't get what you mean". She'll re-explain.
You can also tell your parent and they can let us know.
I forgot my PIN
Ask your parent — they can see your PIN on their dashboard, and they can also reset it for you. Then come back to the profile picker and try again.