It’s time to put down the abacus and pick up the iPad! Whether your child is just starting school or about to sit their GCSEs, here are the top ten apps to help them excel in Maths.
1. EduGuru Maths
EduGuru offers a range of educational apps which are specifically designed to support the UK National Curriculum. The maths app is aimed at 3-5 year olds and combines teaching with fun animations. Early mathematical concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are introduced through games and activities such as ‘Fishing Fun’, ‘Meadow Maths’ and ‘Money Pig’.
Age range: 3-5 year olds
Price: £1.99 (the more limited version can be downloaded for free).
Devices can you use it on: iPhone, iPad, Android
2. Marbotic Smart Numbers
This app may not have the catchiest name, but it is a great resource for young learners. Marbotic Smart Numbers combines digital and physical play, with children placing traditional wooden numbers onto modern touch screens. The app teaches them how to recognise numbers and how to count, as well as how to add and subtract. It is significantly more expensive than most Maths apps, but comes with 10 wooden interactive numbers.
Age range: 3-7 year olds
Price: £39.95
Devices you can use it on: iPad, Android tablets.
3. Squeebles Times Tables
This is a fun app designed to help children learn and practise their times tables. The aim of the game is to help Whizz rescue 40 Squeebles (think frightened, multi-coloured, jumping blobs) from the evil Maths Monster. There are no in-app purchases or adverts, and there is space for unlimited players. Children are introduced to one times table question at a time and only move on to the next set of times tables when they are confident with the former.
Age range: 6-11 year olds
Price: £3.99
Devices you can use it on: iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, Mac OSX
4. Let’s do Mental Maths
This is a classroom favourite launched by Andrew Brodie. The app comes for a range of ages (there are 5-6, 6-7, 7-8, 8-9, 9-10 and 10-11 versions) and is ideal for for KS1 SATs preparation and for 11+ revision. The app offers quick quizzes and progress tests. Children practise their mental maths skills against the clock and monitor their improvement.
Age range: 5+
Price: £3.99
Devices you can use it on: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
5. Monster Math
Aimed at children in Year 1 to Year 5, Monster Math is set in a fictional world where children defeat enemies by solving arithmetical questions. Children explore new worlds and are faced with a wide array of characters as they battle their way through geometry, factors, fractions and decimals. Detailed reports and weekly emails are sent to parents to let them know how their child is progressing.
Age range: 5-10 year olds
Price: Free
Devices you can use it on: iPhone, iPad
6. Doodle Maths
Doodle Maths is tailored to suit your child’s needs. The app identifies the zone between what a learner can do without help, and what he or she can do with help. It then creates a daily-practice work program based around it, filling in the gaps. As children progress, they earn stars to build a robot, boosting their sense of achievement. The app is used by over 1000 schools worldwide.
Age range: Any age
Price: Basic plan is free. The Premium plan costs £4.99 per month or £44.99 per year (per child).
Devices you can use it on: Apple, Android, Kindle Fire, PC, Mac, LearnPad
7. EdPlace
EdPlace compiles content provided by qualified teachers and is closely aligned with the UK National Curriculum. Features include automatic marking, interactive worksheets, personalised rewards systems, badges and teacher videos. Unlike with many apps, you do not buy it outright. Instead, you subscribe to EdPlace on a monthly or yearly basis. The app covers Maths, English and Science and is a useful tool if your child is preparing for any type of exam.
Age range: Year 1-Year 11
Price: £66 per year (for a single subject) £10 per month (for a single subject)
Devices you can use it on: Desktop, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
8. DragonBox Algebra
This app comes in a 5+ version and a 12+ version, and is an engaging way to introduce your child to the basics of algebra. In the 5+ version, variables such as x and y are first represented as colourful picture cards. Over the course of the game, these cards are replaced by variables and numbers. The 12+ version of the app dives into more advanced algebra while retaining its fun premise. The graphics and animations are great and the app manages to make potentially difficult concepts seem simple.
Age range: 5-8 yer=ar olds and 12+
Price: Algebra 5+ – $4.99 Algebra 12+ – $7.99
Devices you can use it on: iPhone, iPad, Android
9. Mathletics
Mathletics is an online maths resource which provides students with study tools and activities based around the Maths curriculum. There are resources for both primary and secondary school children, including maths games, tutorials and hundreds of hours of activities designed to compliment school work. A weekly report is sent to parents, who are given full access to the Mathletics printable workbook library for extra offline activities As with EdPlace, Mathletics is not an app that you buy upfront. Instead, you buy a yearly subscription.
Age range: 7-11 year olds and 11-18 year olds
Price: £59 per year (for one learner) £89 per year (for two learners)
Devices you can use it on: Desktop, iPad, Android, Windows
10. Gojimo
Gojimo is a fantastic revision app covering GCSE, A Level, IB, iGCSE, 11+, 13+ Common Entrance and much more. The app gives users access to 65,000 free revision questions for English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History and Geography. For Maths, Gojimo covers all the major exam boards and offers both questions and detailed explanations. Once students have downloaded the material they do not need Wifi to access it and there are various features allowing students to track their progress.
Age range: 11-18 year olds
Price: Free
Devices you can use it on: iPhone, iPad, Android, desktop