123 Tracer Lite Review

I reviewed "123 Tracer Lite," an app geared toward young children.

Cost: Free

Pros: This app could be especially useful as an educational supplement. I could see a parent lending his or her child the iPad to play with this app on a car ride or on a rainy summer day. The tracing portion of this app would be a great way to practice skills outside of the classroom, especially since a lot of young children need extra work on their motor skills. Another positive aspect of this app is that the addition & subtraction portion would be a fun way for a class to review their math facts. Teachers could reward children with playing this game and facilitate learning along the way. Lastly, the counting portion of this app almost doubles as a matching game. This could be a fun way for children to categorize similar items while counting them. Also, it's a free app, so teachers could recommend it to parents without having to worry about the cost. There's also a full version for $1.99 that appears to have greater depth to it and a family of "Tracer" apps available for purchase.

Cons: This application seems to be best used as a supplement to a basic lesson. While it is a fun way for students to practice some of their skills, it is geared more toward individuals. (I'm sure teachers could work around this or use it as a center.) I found it difficult to navigate back to the main menu without completely quitting the app as well. Another negative aspect of this app is that it lacks depth. By this, I mean that students can only add and subtract on it and will outgrow it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. This could almost serve as a formative assessment, a way for teachers to chart a child's progress along the way. Lastly, on a more superficial note, this app was slightly boring. Young children might appreciate the farm animal theme, but I found the repetition to be unfulfilling.

Classroom Use: I believe an application like this would be best used as a game, serving as part of the class's hidden curriculum. By this, I mean that this app could almost disguise learning as a game, a kind of game that the students beg to play and enables them to enjoy math. I wouldn't use it during the height of my lesson but as a reinforcement to the main lesson because it focuses on tracing numbers, counting, and basic addition and subtraction. These concepts are fundamental and students should practice them all the time, not just during a lesson.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/123-tracer-more-lite-free/id343243254?mt=8

Math Zombie

Math Zombie is an addition app. The goal is simple: in 10 seconds, players must combine numbers to equal the number in the big yellow box. Players must clear the board to move to the next level. Points increase when more numbers are combined. In order to double your points, players must use the same color numbers. It is a quick thinking addition game, and the zombie theme is fun for kids.

Pros: FREE, easy to catch on right away, has several difficulty levels, fun "Zombie" theme.

Cons: Sometimes its not possible to pick numbers that are of the same color, so you receive less points for picking mismatched colors. Only in addition.

MathBoard Addition

MathBoard Addition, a free (but can be upgraded for $1.99) app, is a virtual chalkboard that creates addition problems for students. Students choose one of five multiple choice answers to finish the problem. If they choose the correct answer, the student is rewarded with "CORRECT" and another problem. If incorrect, they may skip the problem, figure out the answer on the workspace below, or watch the Problem Solver which gives a step by step approach to answering the problem. This is a great tool that can be used as a practice activity, can be timed as a "Mad Minute", or used for assessment. The Problem Solver and workspace allows students to see step by step the correct way to solve the problem. The pros of this App are that it is free (for addition only), and teachers can use it as both as a practice and assessment tool. Students can also see how problems are solved step by step if they cannot figure them out. Also, the difficulty level can be adjusted to fit the student or lesson. The con of this App are that it is free only for addition, and that to get other operations it costs $1.99 ( a small price to pay for a great tool.) Overall, it is an awesome tool for teachers and students alike.