My favourite maths app

This week I have been doing some searching to update the list of maths apps I recommend to teachers and parents. It is such a tedious process. I find there are a LOT of apps out there that really don't 'float my boat.'

In fact a few years ago I got so frustrated with the apps that were out there for place value- hardly any of which covered the 6 aspects of place value my research showed were critical to develop (Count, Compare & Order, Name & Record, Make & Represent, Calculate, and Rename) that I made my own (tip: this is not an 'easy' process...lol)!

If you are interested in checking out my app, it is called 'Zero Our Hero' and can be found here. It is available on iPad and iPhone.

But let's get back to apps:

In general, these are my issues:

1.They are basically electronic worksheets- too many are drill and practice and related to speed. These are NOT the messages we want to send our students about maths.

2. They don't use the language or models we use in our classrooms- for example, sometimes they might be US based and so they may use imperial measurements (feet, inches or money).

3. They are not based on solid research. I would love apps to be developed by those who are working in classrooms, and who are familiar with current maths education research and best-practice.

4. Sometimes designers overcomplicate things- sounds, flashy graphics, lots of buttons... just keep it simple! No teacher or parent has time to decode an app for students- it needs to be simple and user-friendly and the maths needs to be clear!

So there you have it... obviously I am biased... but my favourite app is "Zero our Hero" because although it is not perfect- I know it is the most comprehensive, research-based place value app on the market.

It asks students a range of items targeted at different place value content and presents a clear hierarchy of difficulty! Also it is purposefully silent- I used to hate app noise randomly disturbing my lessons!

Here is a review of Zero our Hero which was conducted by The Educational App Store. Spoiler Alert: It received a 5 star rating👏 #proud