How useful are maths apps to help children's maths

[Coffeep]

I was wondering how useful these maths apps really are at improving a child's maths? Would they be better than spending 20 mins a few times a week to go over maths questions in a book?

I am looking at ways to improve my son's confidence in maths. He is in year 2 and doing OK; his school stream the whole year so he is in the bottom table of the top class - I dislike that they stream so young. He finds maths difficult to understand and so is losing confidence in the class.

I was looking at maths apps but most of them offer practice rather than teaching and practice, so I am not sure how useful they would be if he doesn't understand the concept in the first place.

I sit down with him and go over some maths work, using Collins workbook, I have a white board, counters, base 10s and 1s etc and explain the concept to him and help him with the sums. He sort of gets it but will forget a few days later.

Would using an app for 15 mins a few times a week help him more than what I am doing? I don't want him to give up on maths at such a young age.

The key to learning a new concept in maths is a little practice every day. I think boys and girls learn differently, and what worked with my DS was 5 minutes practice every day rather than an hour-long session at the end of the week (he also forgets new concepts readily).

I found apps incredibly useful - there was an app called Maths 4-6 that was very good, but your DS may be too old for that now. There's also Doodle Maths, TT Rockstars, Monster Maths etc that are quite fun and useful in reinforcing concepts.

Doodle maths is great. The idea is a small amount every day. The first questions are a test to assess level then as they get competent it the questions get a bit harder.

Doodle maths and spelling is really useful and one of the few “learning” apps that my dd is willing to do (she is very resistant to doing school stuff at home).

My DD enjoyed doodle maths too, they get to build a robot earning the parts from completing different tasks. She enjoyed doing carol volderman 10min workbooks as well they had a little timer built in and gold stars for the pages.

They helped my children - mainly mathsfactor

Not so sure about some of the other apps we tried - but this gave my children the explanation - some methods used I hadn't been taught - and repetition they needed.

Better than time with a parent - hard to judge really.

Seemed to help with some maths negativity one child had that they often could do it without us and freed us up to do other things with other children - plus methods we didn't know were covered - and it built up slower than perhaps we would have. However our children have got on well with apps generally and some children don't - so it's probably give it a try and see thing.

They helped my children - mainly mathsfactor

Not so sure about some of the other apps we tried - but this gave my children the explanation - some methods used I hadn't been taught - and repetition they needed.

Better than time with a parent - hard to judge really.

Seemed to help with some maths negativity one child had that they often could do it without us and freed us up to do other things with other children - plus methods we didn't know were covered - and it built up slower than perhaps we would have. However our children have got on well with apps generally and some children don't - so it's probably give it a try and see thing.

My DD enjoyed doodle maths too, they get to build a robot earning the parts from completing different tasks. She enjoyed doing carol volderman 10min workbooks as well they had a little timer built in and gold stars for the pages.

They helped my children - mainly mathsfactor

Not so sure about some of the other apps we tried - but this gave my children the explanation - some methods used I hadn't been taught - and repetition they needed.

Better than time with a parent - hard to judge really.

Seemed to help with some maths negativity one child had that they often could do it without us and freed us up to do other things with other children - plus methods we didn't know were covered - and it built up slower than perhaps we would have. However our children have got on well with apps generally and some children don't - so it's probably give it a try and see thing.

My children like Maths Seeds which is part of the Reading Eggs program. It does teach as well as test. They beg to do it and I pretend to reluctantly agree as it’s more screen time but I’m actually happy for them to be on it as much as they like 😁

My kids have really gathered speed with TT rockstars, repetition and practice rather than teaching.

They are super helpful.

The sheer volume of questions you get through when all you have to do is tap the screen means a great deal more practice.

Mastery is more achievable as the better programmes are geared towards it

Now there are complicated reward systems that children love so extra incentive to keep doing it.

Constant daily practice keeps facts fresh in the memory.

The better programmes ask questions from a million different angles. Unless you're a Maths teacher it's hard to know who could think of all these things themselves.

If you're looking for teaching and practice, I would consider White Rose Maths as they gave videos before each section of work. Their workbooks are lovely but I never feel there is enough practice in any text book! Hit the button has great opportunities for repetitive practice.

Another vote for Doodle Maths here. DS enjoys it and finds it very helpful. He likes building a robot using the stars he earns. You can also see their progress on a parent dashboard.

I have a child at the same age and find it's generally necessary to be there alongside, encouraging and giving the odd hint. Unfortunately you can't just set them up and leave them, in my experience.

Doodle maths is really good for practice but not teaching.

In my experience - if you only need extra practice - then apps are good. Because it’s just getting through more volume of familiar tasks.

However - for building confidence and deeper understanding (that is the key for confidence) - there is no substitutes or shortcuts to a parent/teacher figure. To explain again and again and to guide them through things a they don’t yet understand or aren’t confident with.
If kids learned better with apps - we could all close schools and move to screen learning.

You are doing all the right things - just don’t give up. It takes time. He is still so young and way too young to give up on math.

I am a primary maths specialist and am utterly appalled at that levelling of setting. It is really bad practise and so young...Such a self fulfilling prophecy. Research says that 88% of kids who are setted in early in their education are stll in the same sets in Y6 and beyond. If I had a child in a lower set in that school I would almost certainly be looking for a different school... but anyway back to your question. I personally love mathletics but as others have said, only for practise. If he's actually struggling with concepts and you want to keep him in the top set (or in the school), I would be looking for a competent tutor.

DDs school use numbots in KS1 and TT Rockstars in KS2, children are expected to do them a few times a week. I've found it useful for DD (Year 2) to use Numbots regularly, it does also explain concepts to them.

Another vote for DoodleMaths. The English app is okay-ish, the spelling part is better but part of the English problem is the curriculum anyway.

(DS did a year of maths in 3 months in lockdown without noticing it with Doodle).

TimesTablesRockstars- set up a family competition

Our children are this fast- many know their TT by Year 2

White Rose maths videos online
Oak Academy maths on line

Workbooks are perfect.

I've found DoodleMaths helpful at covering the breadth of the curriculum, and drilling until they build up speed (e.g. at addition / multiplication). You do need to be around to occasionally help give an explanation. What's better than a standard workbook is the way they mix up topics and keep coming back to something asking different styles of question until they understand it and remember it. My DC will only do that level of repetitive drilling happily on a tablet.

If you prefer workbooks, CGP does a daily practice series, the autumn year 2 one is here New KS1 Maths Daily Practice Book: Year 2 - Autumn Term: perfect for catch-up and learning at home (CGP KS1 Maths) amazon.co.uk/dp/1789085071/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_HVS8007Z1EFPKJ2MZ6E1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1]] .

DoodleMaths is good. Fun, and varied questions, and it seems to figure out their level, and adapt to it.
School sets Times Table Rock Stars as homework, but DS doesn't get on with it. It's all against the clock and seems to encourage him to guess rather than think things though. School are happy that he uses Doodle Maths (and DoodleTables) instead.

We get them to do 15 minutes before other non-education games.