What Are The Best Math Apps For Kids?

by TeachThought Staff

Introducing students to new ideas is a matter of both art and science.

How do you frame the content? How do you stimulate curiosity, or establish a need to know? Which student is ready for what content, and how do you know?

This is all true whether you’re introducing students to concepts (e.g., the concept of Pi), or skills (e.g., dividing fractions). One powerful way to introduce students to new ideas is to let them ‘play’ with these ideas. If a coach wanted a baseball player to understand how to swing a bat, he wouldn’t make him watch a PowerPoint. Instead, he’d hand him a bat, watch him swing, and provide him with feedback.

Of course, it’s not that simple with everything (may not make sense to hand a student $1000 to let them ‘make sense of’ financial literacy), but the idea of letting students interact–on their own, as they will–with new ideas make sense. Technology is adept at providing this kind of opportunity. Tablets like the iPad (as well as those from Microsoft and Android) host countless apps (of varying quality) to support this.

In pursuit, we created a collection of 12 of the best math apps for kids–specifically, elementary school students. We focused on the kinds of apps that introduce students to concepts, as well as those that let students practice and progress. Better yet, many are adaptive learning apps, adjusting in difficulty to meet an individual student at their level. Some (e.g., ProdigyGame) also feature dashboards as well for both teachers and students track progress over time.

12 Of The Best Math Apps For Kids

1. BrainPOP Jr.

Developer Description: The K-3 math movies teach educational topics like time, money, number sense, geometry, measurement, addition, subtraction, and fractions.

2. Photo Math

Photo Math is one of several apps that allow students to solve math problems–or have math problems solved for them, depending on the integrity and intention of the user.

See also Microsoft Math Solver or Mathway.

3. Socratic by Google

4. Prodigy

Prodigy is a game-based math app, it takes kids through an adventure while teaching basic math skills.

5. IXL

IXL provides personalized learning, along with a real-time math diagnostic test. The diagnostic design a recommendations list based on areas where students might struggle.

6. Splash Math

Splash Math is a game-based math app that offers over 350 math skills with an adaptive learning path for each child.

7. Khan Academy For Kids

Khan Academy Kids is a free-to-use app designed to teach beginner academics to children ages two to eight.

8. CK-12

CK-12 provides a library of free online textbooks, videos, exercises, flashcards, and real-world applications for over 5000 concepts.

9. ABC Mouse

ABC Mouse is subscription-based app that teaches basic academic skills through fun activities.

10. Dragonbox

Dragonbox is a game-based app that teaches basic algebra to children five and up.

11. Kahoot

12 Of The Best Math Apps For Kids