We received the Times Tables Balloon Pop app and the 6th Grade Math app. I'll begin with the Times Tables Balloon Pop. My kids loved this app! It's very simple. You choose which multiplication table you want to practice - you can choose individual tables 2-12, a combination of 2-4, 5-7, and 8-10, or you can choose all of the tables.
With each problem, there is a table that will help your child figure out the correct answer if they are having trouble. In this case, there are 9 rows of 8 apples. You could skip count to find the answer.
Times Tables Balloon Pop is a very simple yet effective app. All three of my kids, from 2nd grade to 6th grade, enjoyed playing! They also have an Add and Subtract Balloon Pop app that my 2nd grader would really enjoy.
We also received the 6th Grade Math app. This app is very full! There is quite the variety of 6th grade math concepts to practice. The options are:
- ratios and proportions
- percents
- fractions
- multi-digit division
- decimals
- factors (greatest common factors and least common multiples)
- signed numbers
- absolute value
- exponents
- expressions and equations
- geometry
- statistics and probability
- labyrinth (which is the game part)
- videos
I'll use the Fractions portion for an example. When you pull up Fractions, you have five options:
- adding fractions
- subtracting fractions
- multiplying fractions
- dividing fractions
- fraction word problems
You can then choose "Step by Step", which teaches you how to work each problem, step by step. Or you can choose "Final Answer Only", in which you only input the final answer. I chose "Final Answer Only."
I chose "Adding Fractions", which then gives me three more options:
- adding 1/2s, 1/4s, 1/8s
- adding different fractions
- adding mixed numbers
I chose "Adding 1/2s, 1/4s, and 1/8s". Now I'm ready to work some problems!
The screen not only has the problem - 1/2 + 1/8 - it also has fraction circles to help. Your child can work the problem on a whiteboard, scrap paper, or in their head. You'll input the answer on the bottom right screen. Immediately it will say "Correct" or "Try Again."
If the answer is correct, you will receive 1 Labyrinth Point which can be used in the labyrinth as a "life." You can then choose to get a new problem or quit.
The Labyrinth is a maze-type game where you have to navigate an avatar through a maze to a treasure chest. This was very difficult to do and I don't think we ever made it through a single maze! Each point you receive from correct answers are used as a "life" in the labyrinth. It's great motivation for the child to earn as many points as possible to use in the labyrinth.
There are a few things we didn't like about the 6th Grade Math app. First, it is really hard to input the answers to the problems because the numbers are so small. My 12 year old daughter and I had difficulty pushing the correct numbers. If we were using this app on an iPad, I'm sure it would be much easier to see and operate. However, we don't have an Apple iPad so we had to use my iPhone. Second, the labyrinth is so hard! I don't know if it was just us having trouble figuring out what to do and how to do it, or if it really is very difficult to do. Mercie is normally great at video games and apps, but got quite frustrated trying to play this one. Third, the videos are pretty boring to watch. The narrator's voice is monotone and drab and the quality of the videos are not great.
That said, there are some great things about the 6th Grade Math app! There is a huge variety of math problems to choose from. You can quit each level whenever you want to. It's nice to receive a point for each correct answer instead of for passing levels. I like that you can choose from "Step by Step" or "Final Answer Only" - that way your child doesn't have to sit through a step by step explanation if she knows how to work the problem, but if she doesn't know how she can watch the steps to learn how.
These apps are available on App Store for Apple devices for $4.99. I would love to try a few more of their apps, including Zombie Numbers! Here is a list of the apps that are available:
- 3rd Grade Math
- 4th Grade Math
- 5th Grade Math
- 6th Grade Math
- 7th Grade Math
- 8th Grade Math
- Pre-Algebra Fundamentals
- Algebra Fundamentals
- Fraction & Decimal Riddles
- Whole Number Riddles
- Times Tables Balloon Pop
- Whole Numbers Balloon Pop
- Word Problems Fun
- Zombie Numbers
We also received 4 bundles of e-books to review. We chose to focus on the "Fraction Word Problem Riddles E-Book." This e-book is 43 pages long and contains fun riddles that your child will complete by answering fraction word problems. Here is an example of one of the riddles:
These were fun to do, but I wish the worksheets didn't have quite so much color! It takes a lot of ink to print these out, so I had my daughter look at the computer screen and write her answers on a scrap sheet of paper. These would be great for "fun school", extra work for concepts that were not mastered, or for busy work. She really enjoyed the riddles!
I also printed out some from the "One and Two Digit Multiplication Riddles E-Book" for my 4th grader to do because he thought Mercie was having all the fun! And then I printed out some from the "One to Three Digit Addition and Subtraction Riddles E-Book" for my 2nd grader. I love the variety of these e-books! There is literally something for every one of your children.
The "Fraction Word Problem Riddles E-Book" is offered for $4.00 or as part of the "Fractions Riddles E-Book" for $9.95. The "Fractions Riddles E-book" is 215 pages long and is an internet download.
Math Galaxy offers e-books on a huge range of topics, including decimals, percents, ratio, geometry, and more. The e-books are a really fun and easy way to review topics and cement those math concepts into your child's head, and I highly recommend them!
Click below to read reviews of some of the different apps and e-books that Math Galaxy has to offer!
If you set your printer to grayscale you can save ink.
ReplyDeleteIt'll print the colors in different shades of gray.