iPad Apps

Me!

As a full-time trainer and instructional coach, I know the importance of professional development and continuing education. Since embarking on this career path seven years ago, I’ve attended annual meetings of both the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and NCSM (formerly the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics). Attending NCTM, NCSM and other regional, national and international math conferences and educational events fulfills my personal ongoing learning goals.

In 2012, I was thrilled to have a proposal to present at NCTM accepted! (Here are two posts on that presentation: tools and thoughts).

For 2015, I submitted similar proposals to both NCTM and NCTM…and BOTH were accepted. Woot! And good news, my co presenter will be Lauri Susi of Conceptua Math.

Here’s the description:

Strip Models, Tape Diagrams, and Bar Models, Oh My!

Lead Speaker: Cassandra Turner
Co-Speaker: Lauri Susi

These visual components sit at the intersection of Common Core, Singapore Math®, and now technology! Learn why this visual model for word problems is so powerful, try some problems from the simple to the complex, and investigate web-based programs and iPad apps that will help anyone incorporate this effective strategy into their classrooms.

The NCSM Presentation is on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.

The NCTM Presentation is on Thursday, April 16, 2015, from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (details here).

But that’s not all!

This year, Singapore Math Inc. asked me to present an NCTM workshop to address some practical considerations schools face when implementing the curriculum.

Filling Knowledge Gaps with Critical Singapore Math® Approach Across Grade Levels (Gr. 3-5)

One of the biggest challenges during a Singapore Math® implementation can be the gaps in student knowledge. Upper elementary students frequently lack the foundation provided by the 1st-3rd grade Singapore curriculum. In this direct from the classroom session, you’ll learn the critical lessons and concepts students must master before jumping into their grade-level content.

This NCTM Workshop is on Friday, April 16, 2015, from 12:30 – 1:30 PM

When the complete conference schedules for both NCTM and NCSM are available, I’ll publish an overview of Singapore Math® presentations along with recommendations for session at each conference as I have done every year since 2010.

If you are headed to Boston in April, please consider attending one of these sessions. I’d love to connect with you!

2015 NCSM Annual Conference – April 13-15, 2015

SHINING THE LIGHT ON LEARNING:
A Vision for Mathematics Leaders

2015 NCTM Annual Meeting & Exposition – April 15-18, 2015

Effective Teaching to Ensure Mathematical Success for All

Boston, Massachusetts
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center

[Note: Conference organizers include a “Times Subject to Change” disclaimer. I’ll update this information if it changes.]

With new apps being added to Apple’s iTunes store all the time, I’m always on the lookout for ones that advertise themselves with the term “Singapore Math”.

Listed below are some recent additions. I paid for and personally played with all of these in order to offer my candid assessment of each.

You can find these and more Singapore Math-related apps on the Singapore Math® iPad Apps page, which is among the most frequently visited on this site.

Note: I didn’t include the online version of Discovering Mathematics textbooks as they are designed to support the books only.

Archimedes Roost – $2.99

Kindergarten app based on Singapore Number Bonds and Montessori using parts and wholes and Montessori bead chain and strip board manipulatives. Includes addition and subtraction within 20. Fully narrated for non-readers.

Opinion? Great graphics and engaging activities. Good number bond and missing addend problems. This is worth $2.99.

Maths Facts – $0.99

Four choices: Number Bonds and Fact Families practice to Ten, Addition & Subtraction to Ten. No ability to differentiate or make it more difficult. Addition & Subtraction is find the sum or difference only, no missing addends.

Opinion? Simple and minimal levels. Very basic, froze a couple of times, but only 99¢.

Let’s Count – Free

For ages 3-6, this is a very basic app with four options. Order quantities of jelly beans from least to greatest, count and label bars to ten, Count beans to ten, match numbers.

Opinion? Well, it’s free and doesn’t take up much memory.

Robin_and_Dob Practice Math with Robin and Dob – $2.99

Master addition and subtraction with math whizzes Robin and Dob. 10 levels of each, addition & subtraction, no customizing. The dog pops up when you’ve taken too long and offers help in the form of an abacus, tens and ones place value chart with apples or the problem stacked instead of horizontal. Adorable!

Opinion? While the game is simple and has minimal levels, the basic practice is solid (and adorable!). This is worth $2.99.

Place Value Cards Cards – $0.99 each

A number is given and you must show it two different ways, for example if 3 tens and 6 ones is given, you could also make 36 with 2 tens and 16 ones.

Level 1: Tens and Ones
Level 2: Hundreds, Tens, and One
Level 3: Thousands, Hundreds, Tens and Ones
Level 4: Hundreds, Tens, Ones, and Tenths
Level 5: Tens, Ones, Tenths, and Hundredths

Number Bond Cards – $0.99 each

Level 1: Ten Frames and
Level 2: Number Bonds with missing whole
Level 3: Number Bonds with missing part

Opinion? Both of these apps are very simple and have minimal levels. If your child needs this targeted practice you could spend the 99¢.

Crackers and Goo – $2.99

Crackers and Goo uses patterns to teach children to identify patterns and see parts of wholes. Flying crackers need to be dragged down to complete the problems. Starts very basic and finishes with rounding then multiplying 898, 899, 900. Yikes! Mental math strategies are explained.

16 levels with 5 mini-levels on each

Grades K-1: game levels 1-4
Grades 2-3: game levels 5 – 7
Grades 4-5: game levels 8 – 11
Grades 5 and up: game levels 12 – 16

Opinion? Great, if repetitive, practice. Turn the volume down on the annoying music. I can’t see kids playing this for long, but it is more of a “game” than typical flash cards. I dig this app, but not sure about young students.

Visual Word Problems – $4.99

Designed to help 1st and 2nd grade school children to visualize, understand and solve basic addition & subtraction word problems, this is a guided, easy to use app for early learners. I really like how prompted the steps are to maneuver through the program and that the default option is to have the app read the problems aloud. The animated word problems that use actual pictures of cows, oranges and apples are fabulous. They are laid out as a definite precursor to the bar modeling that begins in grade 3.

Opinion? Worth the $4.99, but this is not a game. If you would like your child working some basic addition & subtraction word problems, here’s your app.

Xyla and Yabu – $0.99

Help Xyla and Yabu trade gems back and forth by learning to add and subtract with number bonds. Use the relative sizes of number bond bars representing parts and wholes to develop number sense while solving word problems. Understand and become automatic at using tens, doubles, and other recurring patterns with numbers.

Each number bond is presented in the context of a word problem. After mastering sums up to 20 (14 activities), kids explore similar patterns with sums up to 100 (13 activities), for 10 levels in all. There is no option to have the app read the problems aloud. In numbers to 20, there is a picture and a bar hint, in numbers to 100, just some bar hints. After the beginning levels, three possible answers are given.

Opinion? Best 99¢ you can spend on a word problem app for grades 1-2 working with parts and wholes to 100. Of course, Thinking Blocks is still free.

Math Master Bingo – Free to download, 99¢ in-app purchase for unlimited play.

Practice your four operations with Bingo. Choose the operands rang and the operation. (% is used for ÷). Answer questions until you get five in a row.Every 5 problems, it asks you to upgrade. Has two buttons on homescreen to send you to Facebook, only one for Twitter

Opinion? Constantly asks to post to Facebook, I’d pass.

Jingle’s Puzzle – $1.99

For grades 3-6, the website claims this app is designed Singapore primary school’s mathematics model methods. Good luck with that. This is a problem-solving, logic game. Sums are listed on teh left and top of an array and some of the squares are filled in. Students find the pattern and complete the grid.

Opinion? I think the words of the single reviewer say it best: “VERY confusing…Not for young child…There is NO app support. I want a refund.”

Math Olympiad – Free for first 6 problems, then $15.99 per level to unlock.

Designed for 8-12 year olds, this app has official competition questions from the Asia Pacific Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools. And the 6 problems that are included are exactly the types of problems seen on the U.S. version of the Math Olympiads for Elementary & Middle Schools.

Opinion? This might be a great purchase for Math Olympiad teams looking for new problems. The levels are less expensive than the books in the MOEMS store.

Hey Math from Singapore – Subscriptions from $0.99

Videos and practice with multiple levels from Singapore’s #1 online learning site. Hey Math! is an official Partner of the Academy of Singapore Teachers. They also make Factorama – which my 17 year old son loves to challenge me on.

Opinion? This is a very good iPad version of the online site. The videos are very directed and the practice is like an online worksheet.

Smartest Singapore – Free

Online learning game for Singapore primary school children. Students play in 60 second speed challenges in languages, mathematics and general knowledge. There is no way I could see to customise this app to focus on mathematics. You need to choose a Singapore primary school in order to register and there is no option for “other” or “homeschool”. If you’d like to study up on topics, there is an option. Choose from activities, animals, food, Geography, Plants, the MRT (subway in Singapore, Singapore history & famous people or a language. you never know when the Chinese word for bricklayer may come in handy.

Opinion? Pass. Unless you want your child deciding if a picture is of Chimgan Mountain in Uzbekistan or Global Geoparak in Hong Kong. Game portion works about 50% of the time.

Math Mastery! – Free

Secondary and Middle school topics. Supports Ace-Learning.com, who also declares itself the “leading online Mathematics E-Learning system in Singapore”. Must be a registered user of Ace Learning to use.

Opinion? No need to download unless you already subscribe to Ace Learning.

Math Exam Revision Kit – Free

Also by ACE-Learning Systems and so must be registered to get the full app. Secondary and Middle school topics including notes, questions with guided solutions and more practice questions.

Opinion? No need to download unless you already subscribe to Ace Learning.

Matholia iMath tools & Essential Practice – Free to download, paid subscription to access

For grades 1-6, Matholia is an another online mathematics learning portal providing pupils, teachers and parents with dedicated content based on the latest primary maths syllabus from the Singapore Ministry of Education – or you could get the U.S. version. Try the program free for 7 days with a code, then you must subscribe to continue. Ther are practice learn and games option available on the desktop version as well as Singapore math tools and virtual manipulatives for differentiated interaction.

Opinion? No need to download unless you already subscribe to Matholia.

Mathematical Quickies & Trickies -$9.99

Designed for students in grades 6 and up, this is an ipad version of a book of math and math puzzlers. From the Amazon description:

Mathematical Quickies & Trickies contains more than 300 non-routine problems to enhance students’ problem-solving skills…Mathematical Quickies & Trickies would appeal primarily to students and teachers looking for some fertile trick and tricky questions; mathletes preparing for local and regional contests and competitions; problem solvers longing to be challenged by questions whose obvious solutions are never the correct ones for what offhand appears to be true is false.

More Mathematical Quickies & Trickies – $9.99

Opinion? Cheaper than the books.

2048 SG Army – Free

Version of 2048 in which you match tiles to earn your way through the Singapore Armed Forces

Opinion? Probably not for your typical child. I made it through the ranks to Staff Sargent through sheer luck. Stick with the regular numbers version.