Today, I'm reviewing an iOS app for teaching Math to children ages 4 to 6. This application comes from a non-profit organization called onebillion. It's called Maths, age 4-6.
Features
The Maths, age 4-6 app consists of 12 general topics, each divided into 6 mini lessons, plus a test modules at the end of each topic. There is no time limit to the lessons, though on average, a mini lesson can be completed in 20 to 30 minutes.
- Shape and position
- Counting to 20
- Sharing
- More counting
- Tell the time
- Add and subtract
- Counting in tens and fives
- How tall? How long?
- Counting to 100
- More shapes
- Number lines
- Fractions
Noteworthy
Below are some interesting points about the app.
- Introduces line of symmetry, a concept that is used even in Calculus, in a fun and practical way
- Introduces division and fractions using the value of sharing and fairness, teaching children both Math and social skills at the same time. In the first figure below, the children should get 1/4 of cake each. Otherwise, the audio teacher will remind the child to "share fairly." In the second figure, the dragons should be given an equal number of cakes in order for all of them to be satisfied. If the child gets the answer correctly, the app usually displays a check mark with a pleasing beep sound. If the child gets it incorrectly, the child gets a buzzer sound and the audio teacher usually asks the child to "look again" or repeats the question.
- Introduces basic properties of numbers and operations, by asking children to observe patterns; This not just allows children to think analytically, but can also teach them to make sense of things around them.
- Introduces the concept of measurement and number lines through interaction
- Explains common concepts visually and presents the same concept in different perspectives, for better recall and comprehension
- Uses positive reinforcement when a child gets things correctly
Aside from the noteworthy items mentioned above, here are other things I like about this app:
- Introduces Math concepts to your child in a practical way, without them having to worry that it's Math, because it just makes sense. That's how Math is supposed to be--fun and useful.
- Allows your child to apply what was learned through engaging and practical games
- When a concept to be learned is repetitive or too long, the app tries to insert some "break time" in the form of coloring activities, connecting the dots, and so forth to keep your child's attention
- Has pleasing sound effects
- Uses reinforced learning and spiraling (coming back to a concept after a few modules, but presented in a different way)
- Since the instructions are not written but said out loud, you can introduce Math to your child even without him/her learning how to read first. I have a friend who is preparing her toddler next year to learn Math, because for now, she's teaching him how to read. With an app like this, you can introduce your child to Math at the play level. (Minimal terms such as centimetre and cuboid are displayed as words, but this part doesn't have much bearing on the entire lesson.) Also, number recognition is included in the Counting modules.
- Comes in a number of languages; (As an added bonus, this allows parents in non English-speaking countries to familiarize their children with English, or other languages available, if they so desire.)
- No background mode recovery - the application restarts after running from background mode. That means if your child accidentally presses the iPad/iPhone/iPod Home button, the current lesson needs to be repeated, but not after the app shows its Splash screen and brings you to the main lessons screen.
- No saving of progress within a mini-lesson - Accidentally pressing the Back button found on the upper left hand side of the screen will also bring you to the main lessons screen without saving your progress.
- This app was designed to give personalised learning to children with minimal supervision while learning, and provides feedback to the teachers through a web application/online dashboard. For more information, click here to learn more about oneclass. However, for parents or guardians who will buy this app for their children outside the classroom setting, this PC-based dashboard is not available. It would be nice to have statistics displaying your child's problem areas by incorporating it in the mobile app's Parental gate/Admin mode. (Of course, observing your child while playing the app is also a good opportunity for parent-child bonding.)
The way this app presents Math learning to young children was well thought out, with balanced content that's not too overwhelming nor intimidating. I do hope OneBillion's endeavors succeed so we can see more well-designed teaching modules for older children who need to learn higher-order Mathematics. (Plus, the thought that this system is being brought free to marginalised children is a very happy thought indeed.) I'm especially looking forward to how OneBillion will prepare lessons that will ease the children into learning Algebra and Pre-calculus which, these days, are being introduced into the school system at earlier levels as compared to the children of previous generations.
Overall, I'm giving this app from OneBillion Children a 4.5 out of 5 stars. It is now available on the AppStore.
