10 Apps for Math Fluency by Monica Burns

There are so many ways to use mobile devices with students. You can createinteractive textbooks for children to read, ask them to explain their thinking through screencasting or help them access informational text using QR codes. Mobile devices can also be used to help students practice foundational math skills and build their math fluency.

In order for students to tackle the multi-step word problems they'll be asked to solve as early as elementary school, they need to have mastered their addition, subtraction and multiplication facts. By answering 4 + 12, 15 - 5, 9 x 7 and 18 / 3 quickly and accurately, students can focus on reading word problems to figure out what the question is asking them to do. There are tons of fun apps that help children build their math fluency through games and flashcards. Check out some of these fantastic math apps.

Operation Math (iOS - $2.99, Android - $1.99)

This app turns your students into secret spies that will travel around the world on different missions. Kids can choose which operations they want to practice as they make their way through this app.

Sushi Monster (iOS - Free)

Scholastic's app offers children multiplication and addition problems. They'll have to reach a target number by picking the correct factors and addends listed on different pieces of sushi.

Quick Math - Arithmetic & Times Tables (iOS - $1.99)

With this app, kids will answer traditional skill-and-drill questions -- but they won't have to enter answers into a keypad. Instead, your children can write the answer anywhere on the screen of their device, and the app will read their handwriting and record their response.

Pet Bingo by Duck Duck Moose (iOS - $1.99, Android - $1.99)

In this game, children will have to answer addition, subtraction, multiplication or division questions and place their answer on a bingo board. This app is full of colorful cartoon characters and offers visual models to help students understand each problem.

Meerkat Math HD (iOS - $1.99)

This adventure app asks students to complete different races using their math facts. In order to make their meerkat avatar run and jump fast enough to be a winner, they'll have to answer each question quickly and correctly.

Math Flash Cards * (iOS - Free)

A traditional skill-and-drill app (yes, the asterisk is part of the title), Math Flash Cards * helps children practice their times tables by customizing the number and difficulty level of each question. This app has a simple interface that makes it easy for kids to play.

10monkeys Multiplication (iOS - $1.99, Android - Free)

Kids can practice multiplication facts with this animated app. The goal is to help monkeys trapped in a tree escape by answering a set of questions correctly. This app is broken down into different times table and includes a reference chart to review facts.

Math Monsters - Bingo (iOS - Free)

Students can practice all operations using this bingo app. They'll solve each problem and then find the answer on the bingo board. Players need to be strategic if they want to win the game.

Math Vs Zombies (iOS - $4.99, Android - Free)

This silly app asks children to add, subtract, multiply or divide single- and two-digit numbers. Students need to answer each question correctly in order to zap the zombies back into humans.

YodelOh Math Mountain (iOS - $2.99, Android - $1.99)

A virtual take on a traditional carnival game, this app helps children practice all four operations. They'll have to work quickly so that the yodeler doesn't fall from the top of the mountain.

10 New Educational Ipad Apps for Education

March 10, 2014
If you haven't seen them yet, here is a round-up of some good educational iPad apps that have been recently released. During my online meandering I come across hundreds of apps and I bookmark the ones I deem important to share here with you. the purpose behind these lists is to keep teachers and educators abreast of the latest releases in the world of educational iPad apps. Have a look and share with your colleagues.

1- Creative Kids

The app gives children over six a step by step method for creating their own animations and moving images using colour pencils, paper, and a tablet computer. Fine motor skills, creativity, and imagination are stimulated in a playful and fun way.

2- Draw Your Stories

It helps with visualizing the information which is a very important piece for comprehension skills It can be used for a variety of children including special educations students who have language learning deficits, reading comprehension deficits, and specific learning disability due to language weaknesses. Promotes language through motor skills modality It helps with active participation skills Promotes internal motivation to keep listening and interacting in the task.

3- Thinking Time Pro

A groundbreaking cognitive training game designed with Harvard and UC Berkeley neuroscientists. Thinking Time trains memory, attention, reasoning and key cognitive skills through scientific games.

4- Tell about This

Tell About This is an easy platform to inspire and capture children's thoughts and stories! They will love to explore and respond to any of the 100 interesting photo prompts using their voice. Craft custom prompts and add profiles to personalize the experience! Simple save/share options.

5- Elements 4D

Part educational story and part game, the Elements 4D app offers a new, fun way to experience augmented reality and learn about real-life chemistry. Paired with either paper or wood blocks that are inscribed with the symbols of 36 elements from the periodic table, this app will instantly transform a simple, inanimate object into dynamic, dimensional, 4D representations of each element.

6- Literacy Leveler

Literacy Leveler™ makes it easy to level children’s books in your collection and find books of an appropriate reading level.

7- Anatomy 4D

4D Anatomy allows viewers to understand and interact with complex information with unprecedented ease, speed, and depth. Visually stunning and completely interactive, augmented reality is the perfect vehicle for 21st century education. 

8- Home KG

Home KG is an amazing free learning app for preschoolers to teach your children how to write alphabets, numbers and recognize shapes. This Kids app is a free teaching tool for toddlers and young children. It includes all English alphabets, digits from 0 to 9 and 10 different shapes. This preschool learning app works as a training guide where children can explore their creativity while learning at the same time. 

9- Powers of Minus Ten

In this version of POMT, zoom into human bones, see how broken bones heal, and investigate some of the cool and weird cells found in the middle of our most sturdy organs.

10- Who Has What

taps! Never again forget who has your Books, DVDs, Games or anything else. Just look it up in »Who has What? 2«! It's incredibly easy and it just takes a few seconds to keep track of your Items with »Who has What?«!