by Brenda Tan
I’VE noticed that once my kids enter primary school, the time they spend on the iPad is naturally reduced. Apart from the usual school homework, the occasional assessment books, the library books, the YouTube videos they watch on television and the general hijinks they get up to daily, my childrens’ overall time for playing on the iPad is much diminished, compared to when they were in preschool.
Furthermore, when my primary one boy and the primary three girl ask to go online, it’s usually for an e-assignment given by their teachers to be completed via the school’s e-learning portal.
I much prefer my children using the laptop to access the e-learning portals because all the trusted “official” sites and apps are already grouped together.
However, we do have the occasional situations when we’re commuting, which is perfect for some iPad time on-the-move. There are also the times when I feel that my girl’s multiplication sense needs refreshing or a new subject that my boy is learning could do with some more interactive drills on the iPad.
Here are some apps that I have on my iPad that focus on Mathematics and the current topics they are working on this week. The apps are free, unless otherwise stated:
General math fun:
Math Champions View In iTunes
This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad
Free
Category: Education
Updated: 24 July 2015
Version: 2.8.1
Size: 17.7 MB
Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish
Developer: Nicolas Lehovetzki
© Nicolas Lehovetzki
Rated 4+
Made For Ages 9–11
Compatibility: Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
I have the free lite version, which has 2 games. The full version is S$1.48, and has 8 different games. It has the 4 operations (addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication) and some spatial puzzles on a grid.
Tangram View In iTunes
Free
Category: Games
Updated: Jan 02, 2013
Version: 1.4
Size: 4.0 MB
Language: English
Seller: JiuzhangTech Ltd
© JiuzhangTech Ltd
Rated 4+
Compatibility: Requires iOS 3.2 or later. Compatible with iPad.
Excellent for spatial awareness and looking for shapes within shapes. This is good training for later when children learn shapes, angles, area and perimeter.
Specific math topics: Four operations
ArithmeticWiz View In iTunes
This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad
Free
Category: Education
Updated: 02 October 2014
Version: 2.3
Size: 5.3 MB
Language: English
Developer: Daniel Chong
© 2014 The Rocket Studio
Rated 4+
Compatibility: Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
This app is simple, but I like it because the answers are not multiple choice, so the user needs to work out the answers instead of guessing. The App has excellent classical piano music as background music to aid focus and concentration. (Confession: I sometimes just turn on this app for its classical piano while I’m working on other things.)
The app also has a ranking board to see your standing against other users, in Singapore and globally. The in-app purchase unlocks 10 additional levels for $4.98.
9X9 Training View In iTunes
Free
Category: Games
Updated: 31 July 2015
Version: 1.6
Size: 5.6 MB
Language: English
Developer: The App Tower Inc.
Copyright © 2012 The App Tower Inc. All rights reserved
Rated 4+
Compatibility: Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPad.
I like this app for its no-nonsense simplicity. It’s not so much a game as a quick reminder of the multiplication table. The answers in that multiplication set is all in one area, so it helps with number association.
Also, it’s almost impossible to find a multiplication table that doesn’t include the 11 and 12 times tables in the app store. This app stops at the nine times table, which is perfect for our Singapore curriculum.
Math: Multiplication Table View In iTunes
This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad
Free
Category: Education
Updated: 03 January 2013
Version: 3.0.0
Size: 11.2 MB
Languages: English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Chinese, Turkish
Developer: Online Science Classroom, LLC
© Online Science Classroom, LLC
Rated 4+
Compatibility: Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
If your child enjoys Tetris, they will immediately recognise and love this app! The user clears the “bricks” which are the multiplication questions. If they don’t get the answer right, the “bricks” start piling up and filling up the screen. The user has a second chance to clear the board if he can answer enough correct answers to fill up a “bomb”, which does a satisfying job of blasting out a line of wrongly answered bricks.
The full version can be purchased at $2.58.
Last week’s math topic: Fractions
Coop Fraction View In iTunes
This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad
Free
Category: Education
Updated: 23 August 2014
Version: 2.0.2
Size: 18.1 MB
Languages: English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Chinese, Turkish
Developer: eChalk Ltd
© 2010 eChalk Ltd
Rated 4+
Compatibility: Requires iOS 6.1 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
The premise for this app is quite silly and fun, with really bad puns like ‘egg-streme’ and ‘simply-frying’ (simplifying). The user navigates through five activities in a chicken coop to help the chickens in their tasks, and the user gains a sound grasp of fractions along the way.
The free game version gets users to estimate a fraction given. The user is given a fraction, and they have to estimate on a number line the corresponding decimal value. The fraction is in the picture as a circle, on a number line and as a decimal. While decimals may be a little advanced for primary three, the estimation helps the user understand the idea of the fraction as not merely the segments of a circle, and removes the fear of not getting the answer perfectly right.
The in-app purchases (bundle: $6.98) have the same thoughtfulness in teaching math without it being obvious as working on a tedious math question. The capers of the chickens are happy distractions.
‘Chicken Coop Painter‘ is ‘egg-cellent‘ in getting the user to see fractional values in terms of a rectangular shape. This is particularly useful for our Singapore curriculum, where fractions will be used in the model approach and the ability to see fractions in a rectangle is of greater value than seeing fractions in equal pizza slices.
In ‘Bad Egg Fractions’, the user chooses the ‘bad egg’ out of the rest which are equivalent fractions. Although some of the denominators are three-digit numbers, the principle of estimating a fraction is at play, so the user learns not be intimidated by the large numbers.
I particularly like the app’s ‘Simply-Frying Fractions’. It’s really well done to get the user to see the factors required to simplify fractions. Furthermore, if the user takes too many factors to reduce the fraction, the app will show how the user could have taken a shorter step by using a higher common factor.
Finally, ‘Rocket Rooster’ requires the user to think about the value of fraction of a unit, and then make a good estimate to combine a few fractions of a unit to launch the rooster via a rocket pack into the nest. This particular segment is perhaps more suited to the upper primary kids, but it’s nonetheless a good way to reinforce the idea of fraction of a unit, and make quick guesstimates about which rockets to choose so that it may carry the rooster across. The Rooster Cam tracks the rooster’s short flight, which is hilarious!
Oh No Fractions! View In iTunes
This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad
Free
Category: Education
Updated: 15 March 2014
Version: 2.41
Size: 3.7 MB
Languages: English, French, Italian
Developer: Curious Hat, Inc.
© Curious Hat Inc.
Rated 4+
Made For Ages 9–11
Compatibility: Requires iOS 5.1 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Visually, this is a lovely app. The numbers are large, the design is engaging and thoughtful. I really like how the comparison of the fractions are side-by-side for clarity.
This week’s math topic: Time
Most of the apps are simple ‘read-the-clock’ games. Or they require you to adjust the hands on the clock face as instructed. It’s more difficult to find apps that deal with time intervals or ‘before time‘ and ‘after time’.
What Time Is It? View In iTunes
This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad
Free
Category: Games
Released: 16 May 2014
Version: 1.0
Size: 20.8 MB
Language: English
Developer: Johannes Metzler
© 2014, Johannes Metzler
Rated 4+
Compatibility: Requires iOS 5.1 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Simple interface with happy music. What I like is how as the game progresses, the app removes the numbers on the clockface, so that the user has to identify the time based on the clock hands’ position.
Time Math View In iTunes
This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad
Free
Category: Education
Released: 14 July 2012
Version: 1.0
Size: 6.1 MB
Language: English
Developer: Recession Apps LLC
© Copyright (c) 2011-2012
Rated 4+
Compatibility: Requires iOS 5.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
This is a simple app, but what sets it apart is that it has two sections: “what time will it be” and “what time was it”. The user can set difficulty levels of going by hour, minute, or a mix of both.
Kids Time Fun View In iTunes
This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad
S$ 1.28
Category: Education
Updated: 03 September 2015
Version: 6.0
Size: 10.4 MB
Language: English
Developer: ONE STEP AHEAD APPS, LLC
© 2014 One Step Ahead Apps, LLC
Rated 4+
Made For Ages 6–8
Compatibility: Requires iOS 8.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
This app was clearly made for girls with its sweet pink background and flowers, but it’s the only time app I found that has calculating time intervals, time before and time after. It’s $1.28 from the App Store.
Tell Time: Match Up View In iTunes
This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad
Free
Category: Education
Updated: 07 January 2012
Version: 1.2
Size: 17.0 MB
Language: English
Developer: Innovative Investments Limited
© Grasshopper Apps
Rated 4+
Compatibility: Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
This is a fast activity for reading time quickly and matching the time to the clock face.
Fix the Clock
View In iTunes
This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad
Free
Category: Games
Updated: 14 September 2013
Version: 1.1
Size: 32.0 MB
Languages: English, German
Developer: Mogic GmbH
© Mogic GmbH
Rated 4+
Compatibility: Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
This was a bonus app for my kids after doing time with time. Fix the Clock is not a mathematical exercise, but an interesting puzzle game involving gears, time, and collecting bolts in a clock.
Featured image student_ipad_school by Flickr user Brad Flickinger, CC BY 2.0.
If you like this article, Like The Middle Ground‘s Facebook Page as well!
For breaking news, you can talk to us via email.
The post Math iPad apps for primary school appeared first on The Middle Ground.