About Kern
Learning to learn, right to the core.
Why Kern
At school you learn many subjects, but rarely how to learn. Those who know study for less long, remember more and walk into an exam more calmly. Kern always starts from something you know: your diary, your textbook, the evening before the test.
Honest about what works
The advice in Kern rests on what learning research found again and again: quizzing yourself, spacing over time, mixing, worked examples, words and pictures together, and enough sleep. We explain it in plain words and invent no numbers. What is not true, like learning in your own learning style, we say too, calmly.
Fixed blocks, always in the same order
Why, See it, Get it, Do it, and then Do it tomorrow: one small habit to try. Then the pitfalls, where you meet it and a bit of history. Every topic shows what you best read first and what comes next.
Exercises that never run out
Where it can, a generator works out every exercise: planning with real dates, blocks and breaks, minutes per point in an exam. Where it is about insight, Kern picks from fixed series and shuffles them. Thousands of exercises per topic are tested automatically.
Who makes Kern
Kern is made by Neal Van de Velde (nealvdv), who also made Draad, Ruit and the other Kaft apps. Questions, mistakes or ideas are always welcome.
Calm and private
No ads, no tracking, no required account, no streaks or notifications that make you feel guilty. What you can do and what you plan is kept only on your own device.
When it gets heavy
Stress before an exam is normal, but you do not have to carry it alone. Talk to your parents, a teacher, the pupil support at your school or the CLB. In Flanders you can talk to someone anonymously by calling Awel on 102, for free. Kern gives study tips, not medical advice.
What does Draft mean?
A topic labelled Draft is carefully written, but not yet checked by a teacher or pupil counsellor. Only after that check does the label go. See a mistake? Let us know.
Draft: Not yet checked by a teacher or pupil counsellor.0/18of the 18 topics have been checked. The checking is ongoing.
Kern and Kaft
Kern is part of Kaft, a family of learning apps with an app for every subject. Part of Kern is free, for the rest we ask a fair price. That keeps Kern free of ads and tracking.
What does Kern cost?
The learning path, the planner and the first 3 topics are free. For all of Kern you choose one of these plans:
- All of Kern€4 a month · €36 a year
- Kaft bundle, all apps€8 a month · €69 a year
There is also a family plan, a school plan and a free social rate.
You pay on Kaft. With Kaft Plus every topic of Kern opens.
All prices on KaftThe Kaft family
Every app has its own subject and its own face, with the same way of working: understanding over cramming, calm and without ads. Kern helps you in all those subjects.
Where we come from
Kern is made from a Christian conviction: every person is valuable, also with a bad report card, and your talents are a gift to take care of. The lessons themselves are neutral and honest: they explain how learning works. What you notice is the manner: patient, without guilt, and with rest and sleep as something good.