Suggestions for good maths apps for 7 year old

[rhetorician]

DD is 7, and has just done her standardised tests (not in the UK). She scored extremely well in reading and writing and very poorly in maths which gives her an average overall score. Her teacher says it doesn't reflect her ability. She is dyspraxic, so has difficulty with sequencing tasks and with focus. I dont think her maths skills are as weak as her test scores indicate, but she quickly loses focus and becomes careless with her work. So I think the best approach is more practice, and I wondered if anyone had suggestions for good apps/games etc that would help her.

[BelfastSmile]

I'm following this with interest, as I'm an app developer and am interested in making apps for children with SEN. There seems to be a gap in what's out there.

[enjoyingscience]

My DS enjoyed Squeebles - there are a few versions focussing on different things (addition/subtraction, times tables etc). The games are really fun, and they have a nice reward system where you earn points to play another little game and meet the characters. I'd highly recommend them.

[rhetorician]

Thanks. belfastsmile, absolutely there is. She's a really smart kid, and I have to keep reminding myself that she is doing really well for a child wins learning disability that isnt really being factored in to how topics are presented to her at school. That sounds like a brilliant idea, particularly welcome here (Ireland) because parents basically have to fill in the provision themselves, although DDs school is better than most

[BelfastSmile]

I'm also happy to take suggestions if you have any specific ideas (though obviously then I'd be making money from it, so no problem if you don't want to give your ideas to a random stranger on the internet!).

[noramum]

We used Squeebles a lot at that age, still use it for their spelling and word search app.

To learn to do it by speed our school recommends "Hit the button".

[CasparBloomberg]

We've had a lot of success with Doodlemaths. My 7 year old and 10 year old both like it and their confidence in maths has improved massively in just a few months.
We like the 10 minutes a day approach, little and often, and the children don't mind doing it as they don't have to do it for long (usually whilst having breakfast or in the car after school). We have found it has definitely helped their recall of methods/facts.

[Katemz]

I'd recommend Komodo maths. It certainly worked for my kids. Particularly like the way it's designed for home use as opposed to school.

[Ferguson]

'aps' are probably too 'abstract, until a child really has a grasp of what numbers are all about. As a retired TA I'll give you my standard advice to help with this:

Practical things are best for grasping number concepts - bricks, Lego, beads, counters, money, shapes, weights, measuring, cooking.

Do adding, taking away, multiplication (repeated addition), division (sharing), using REAL OBJECTS as just 'numbers' can be too abstract for some children.

Number Bonds of Ten forms the basis of much maths, so try to learn them. Using Lego or something similar, use a LOT of bricks (of just TWO colours, if you have enough) lay them out so the pattern can be seen of one colour INCREASING while the other colour DECREASES. Lay them down, or build up like steps.

So:
ten of one colour none of other
nine of one colour one of other
eight of one colour two of other
seven of one colour three of other
etc,
then of course, the sides are equal at 5 and 5; after which the colours 'swap over' as to increasing/decreasing.

To learn TABLES, do them in groups that have a relationship, thus:

x2, x4, x8

x3, x6, x12

5 and 10 are easy

7 and 9 are rather harder.

Starting with TWO times TABLE, I always say: "Imagine the class is lining up in pairs; each child will have a partner, if there is an EVEN number in the class. If one child is left without a partner, then the number is ODD, because an odd one is left out."

Use Lego bricks again, lay them out in a column of 2 wide to learn 2x table. Go half way down the column, and move half the bricks up, so that now the column is 4 bricks wide. That gives the start of 4x table.

Then do similar things with 3x and 6x.

With 5x, try and count in 'fives', and notice the relationship with 'ten' - they will alternate, ending in 5 then 10.

It is important to try and UNDERSTAND the relationships between numbers, and not just learn them 'by rote'.

An inexpensive solar powered calculator (no battery to run out!) can help learn tables by 'repeated addition'. So: enter 2+2 and press = to give 4. KEEP PRESSING = and it should add on 2 each time, giving 2 times table.

There are good web sites, which can be fun to use :

//www.ictgames.com/

www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/page/default.asp?title=Woodlands%20Junior%20School&pid=1

[MyakkaState]

King Of Maths. MangaHigh (free section).

[kennythekangaroo]

Any of the squabbles maths apps are great for basic skills.
Percy Parker for tables songs (followed by squabbles for that table) got DD really confident on tables.
Thinking blocks is a good one to do together with word problems, giving you a very visual way to solve them.
DD loved slice which is a fraction program and has really improved her ability to visualise and talk about fractions.

[kennythekangaroo]

SQUEEBLES not squabbles obv.

[rhetorician]

Thank you all I'll check These out, and see what appeals,,but Ferguson is right, hands on understanding is key. If I gave her coi s or sweets she can do it fine, but can't get the abstraction.

[CrotchetQuaverMinim]

There's one called Numbers, by the makers of Dragon Box, that has good reviews.

You could also try //www.apps4primaryschools.co.uk that lets you search by topic and age range, and is UK based.