Back to school math App

With the start of school many kids are struggling to remember some of the basics that two months off has let them forget, albeit temporarily. As parents, there isn't too much we can do to improve their performance quickly in any subject... except perhaps math. Math is one area where even some quick practice can help a child recall what they forgot from last year. For years I've used flash-cards for the kids to review addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Good-bye land of the lost, and welcome to the land of having a smart phone! I've been playing with two great iPhone applications that both help kids with math. It takes me all of 8 minutes to drive the kids to school. This is also a perfect amount of time for my daughter to play with my iPhone (which she loves to do) and practice math (which she DOESN"T love to do) at the same time. In fact, she even thinks it's a game! PERFECT!!!!

MathSmart:First Grade is designed as a fun math learning tool for the first grader. It has 60 difficulty levels and adjusts the level according to where the student is. This means that the question MathSmart asks is dependent on how the student performs. This 99 cent app covers counting to 100, counting in 10's, skip counting (2.5,10), finding missing numbers, and comparing numbers to determine if they are <, > or = to each other. It also covers addition, subtraction, and some advanced math. It is compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch.

Another great application for practicing math is Math Drills Lite. This free app covers addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. It lets you practice each one separately or mixed. Included with sound effects and nice colors, this graphic rich app is easy to read. The display let's you review questions or do a timed drill. This app even shows you how to reach the correct answer by way of a bar graph which is easy for kids to understand. Try out this free app and if you like it you can purchase the full version that allows multiple players, has 12 different themes, has the ability to set the number of problems and does Smart Drills (which places emphasis on problems answered incorrectly or slowly).


So the next time you are waiting somewhere or driving a short distance, let your child have some fun and improve their math at the same time. These great iPhone apps are much better than flash cards. Just ask a kid!