by Scott Newcomb, 4th Grade Teacher, OH:
Looking for ways to increase student engagement in your classroom? Try these game-based educational apps that make math a whole lot of fun!
1. Operation Math (Spinlight Studio) - James Bond meets math facts. With this app, students will travel around the world, trying to defeat Dr. Odd. Students will complete timed missions in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. When completing these missions, students can earn different types of watches and uniforms. Operation Math has over 100 different missions that the students can complete.
2. Quick Math and Quick Math+ (Shiny Things) - Students really enjoy Quick Math and Quick Math+ because they can use their finger as a stylus and just write the answers on the screen. In Quick Math, students are given the option of doing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Quick Math+ offers more challenging activities that test memorization, estimation, and indices.
3. YodelOh Math Mountain (Spinlight Studio) - This app, reminiscent of The Price is Right game show, takes place in the Alps. The objective is to answer as many fast facts as possible before falling off the mountain. If a student answers a problem correctly, they move closer to the summit of the mountain. As the students are completing math problems, they also have to watch for sheep trying to knock them off the mountain. This fast-paced, interactive game holds student interest by putting a twist on the memorization of fast facts.
4. Factor Samurai (Third Rail, LLC) - This app helps students decipher between prime and composite numbers. Factor Samurai puts a different spin on the game Fruit Ninja, but instead of slicing fruit, the students must slice composite numbers into prime numbers. Students can earn different colored swords by slicing only composite numbers. This app also challenges students by giving them three different levels to choose from: grasshopper, apprentice, and master.
5. Math Bingo (ABCYa!) - Math Bingo uses all math operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Students can get a bingo by correctly answering math facts presented vertically, horizontally, or diagonally on a grid. When a student completes a bingo, the app unlocks games such as “Bingo Bug Bungee,” “Math Stack,” and “Math Fling.” All of these games help students learn math facts in a unique way.
6. Math Planet (Playpower Labs, LLC) - Math Planet offers math apps for first through fifth grade while also providing a middle school app. Students can explore different planets and solve problems related to number sense, fractions, decimals, geometry, and all of the math operations. Math Planet is a fun way for students to learn math skills!
7. Math Slicer (Thumbstorm, LLC) - Math Slicer is a great way for students to learn their math facts. Students slice the answers to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems. As a math problem appears on the screen, two answers fly though the air and a student must "slice" the correct answer with their finger.
8. iTooch Math (eduPad) - iTooch is based on the Common Core standards and covers mathematics, science and language arts for grade 1-5. With this app, students can take practice tests and earn grades for each of the content standards. This app offers a multitude of visuals to help students gain understanding of the content.
9. GeoBoard (Clarity Innovations, Inc.) - This app creates a digital geoboard. Students can create geometric shapes with different colored rubber bands. The boards are shaped in squares, rectangles, and circles. This app can be used to illustrate polygons, to identify types of angles, and to create congruent figures.
10. Slice Fractions (Ululab) - If you are looking for a fun way to learn or teach fractions, then Slice Fractions is for you. Slice Fractions involves a world-traveling mammoth trying to solve different math problems related to fractions while collecting interesting hats along the way. This app includes puzzles that incorporate fraction symbols, fraction parts, comparing fractions, problem solving, and adding fractions. This is a well-constructed app that's perfect for 5- to 12-year-olds.
Try these apps to keep students engaged and motivated in math through the last weeks of school. Be sure to let us know how it goes in the TenMarks teacher communities on Facebook and Twitter!
Scott Newcomb has taught for 15 years and works with fourth-graders at St. Marys Intermediate School in Ohio. Newcomb shares his thoughts on mobile learning and EdTech on his blog called The Mobile Native www.themobilenative.org.
