Math Flash Cards + App = Fun!

The estimated reading time for this post is 3 minutes

I’m learning new math these days: Apps + Kids = Fun! You can pretty much take any aspect of childhood, add an app and make it fun (except, of course, for diaper changes).

As we have seen with iReward Chart, Wheel of Doom, and Be Confident!, kids will become more involved, cooperative and easily pleased when using apps. So it makes sense to use apps to help kids with learning when we can.

Math Flash Cards is an iPhone/iPod Touch app from One Moxie, the developers of Wheel of Doom, that can help kids with their basic math skills in a fun and effective way.  The Math Flash Cards app looks similar to traditional flash cards, but can be customized to the skill level of your child. The app covers the four basic functions of math: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. You can adjust the lowest and highest numbers for each function, allow negative answers, redo missed answers and try until correct. You can also control the number of cards in a deck, from 25 to all. You can also control how the problem is answered, multiple choice or not (if multiple choice is not selected, a keypad appears).

Here is a screenshot of the Deck Setup screen:

After you set up the deck for your child, he can begin to “play”, answering the multiple choice math problems by clicking on the correct answer. If he answers correctly, he gets a green check mark and moves on to the next question. If he answers incorrectly, he gets a red X and moves on to the next question, unless you have selected Try Until Correct in Settings. The games are timed and the player is awarded stars based upon the number of problems he answers correctly. The fastest time with 100% correct answers will be displayed on the home page with the date of that accomplishment, giving your child the incentive to answer all the problems correctly as quickly as possible.

Let’s say your child has an assignment to memorize her multiplication tables for the number 9. You can adjust the app so that your child is quizzed only on multiplying 9 times other numbers. What a fun way to do homework!

I thought this was a great app when I tried it, but to make sure, I enlisted the help of kid testers to try it out. They all loved it and enjoyed the fun of solving the problems in record time.

When I asked the mom of a seven year old boy if he could test this app for me, she replied, “Okay, but you picked the wrong kid. He hates math!” I told her I thought her son would be the perfect tester.

The boy took my iPhone and soon was entranced with the app. After he finished the addition problems, he handed my iPhone back to me and said proudly, “I did great!”

I asked him if he wanted to try subtraction and he said, “Sure!” and proceeded to finish his subtraction problems. “This was fun!” he said when he was done.

Bottom line: he doesn’t hate math anymore and his mom bought the app.

How much for this app that makes math fun? $0.99, a lot less than you would pay for traditional flash cards.

Here is a YouTube video from the developer showing Math Flash Cards in action:

Although this app is meant for kids, there’s no reason why adults couldn’t use it to sharpen our skills, as the highest number you can choose for solving problems is 24. Do you know your multiplication tables to 24? Me neither. I guess I’m learning all kinds of new math these days. No harm in our having fun while learning too!

Have you used apps to help your kids with their homework? Let us know in the Comments section below.