Recommendation for primary level but secondary age maths practice app or book

[Mandarinaduck]

My 15 (nearly 16 year old) has got quite poor number sense and basic mental maths. She is fine with the more conceptual stuff but is very slow with operations and can't do mental arithmetic. Unfortunately I have only realised this recently when discussing some 'numbers in everyday life' (for example splitting costs, doubling recipe amounts etc); otherwise she gets middling but not catastrophic marks in maths at school.

What apps or books could you recommend for basic drills (and explanations where necessary, e.g. percentages, ratios, probability) for someone of this age (i.e. not humiliatingly babyish but easy enough to motivate her to practise and drill).

Not a maths book but you mentioned recipes.

Rounding recipes up and down, counting the total grammes in a recipe, substituting things like powdered egg instead of an actual egg could all help with basic skills.

They don’t have explanations but have a look at Schofield and sims arithmetic books.

Theoretically yes but I fear those skills are too occasional to make an impact - and because it's not easy for her she is likely to just do it on her phone. I really think she needs to go back to first principles and drill through the 4 operations until she can do sums instantly in her head. She had mental maths homework from school every day when she was young - I wonder why it has not stuck.

I am just a bit shocked to now realise that she can't do things like figure out a monthly cost from an annual number, work out a rough percentage in her head, etc.

Could she be dyslexic? Eventually realized DC2 was
dyslexic after completing A-Levls (inc maths). This was one of their symptoms.

Duolingo has a maths section and there's also a white rose 1 min app. Both are useful for quick recall if number facts and operations

I actually strongly believe she is dyslexic. She is not diagnosed and does not want to get tested. I wish I had done it when she was younger.
I did not realise it affects maths!!!
She struggled a lot to learn to tell the time on an analogue clock and also struggles with maps, left and right, all of that kind of thing.
(As well as being a late reader, poor speller, slow writer...)

Ok. You might need different strategies to help her then. I expect there is a dyslexia charity - I would find out what their recommendation is.

DC2 and I have the same problems as your DD. I suspect I am dyslexic too.

Have you told the school of your suspicions? It is big disadvantage to sit exams with undiagnosed dyslexia. DC2 is now at uni and gets 25% extra time for exams. I would try to find a way to get your DD to agree to an assessment. It’s not her fault and understanding what’s going on will help her enormously.

Dyslexia is a form of neurodivergence and often comes in conjunction with ADHD and autism (DC2 and I have both of these too). Also something to have in mind, especially as girls are usually brilliant at hiding all this.

I wouldn’t bother.

honestly.

ex maths teacher.

for the gcse two papers out of three allow a calculator. In everyday life people use calculators and there’s one on your phone. Mental maths just isn’t needed in everyday life very much these days.

focus on the stuff that will help her pass the GCSE.