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Super Number Triangles

Mindprint Rating

Tags

Mathematics K-8 iOS App

Skills

Mindprint Expert Review

Pros

  • Students can choose a level to start and then move up through six levels as they answer correctly.
  • The negative feedback for incorrect answers is minimal.

Considerations

  • The design is confusing and will overwhelm most students trying to learn the concepts.
  • There is no option to track progress on specific facts.
  • The app has very limited incentives for students to want to play and improve.

Mindprint Expert Review

This app unsuccessfully uses the concept of triangular flash cards for students to learn and practice their multiplication and division facts.Triangle flash cards, which have one member of each fact family at each point, can be a very effective way for students to learn the relationship between inverse operations. Unfortunately, this app implements that concept in a confusing and visually overwhelming format. On each screen, students will need to drag and drop the missing factor for four different problems.They will need to scan a crowded screen of numbers and operations, bright colors, and an unnecessarily confusing layout. The app does not explain incorrect answers, enable tracking of troublesome facts, or provide any meaningful incentives for a child to want to continue. While this app does provide educationally appropriate content to learn multiplication and division facts, very few students are likely to find it enjoyable or helpful.

Academic Benefits

Improves academic skills

  • Provides sufficient and varied types of practice problems to maximize understanding and generalization of the targeted skill/concept
  • Manufacturer claims alignment with Common Core/Known Standards
  • Presents educational concepts accurately
  • Explains answers so students can learn from mistakes
  • Better for teaching the skill to new or struggling learners
  • Better for practicing or refreshing the skill
  • Skills are practiced through authentic, meaningful problems (not just rote practice)

Fun

Engaging for the Mindprint recommended age range

  • Appropriate for a broad age range to use and enjoy
  • Subject matter and problems are relevant, interesting and authentic to students
  • Visually appealing to children in the target age range
  • Provides virtual rewards or incentives after meeting specified goals or objectives
  • Provides a "break activity" between academic problem sets
  • Offers ongoing, progressive challenge
  • Overall - Enjoyable. Given the option, students would choose this option

Easy to Use

Understandable for children in the Mindprint recommended age range

  • Has a free or trial version
  • Provides teaching guidance for adults to support the child and set appropriate goals
  • Provides an age-appropriate tutorial/first time users can work independently
  • Student should be able to use independently after first use
  • Has a multi-player option to foster in-person collaboration or cooperation
  • Multiple users can save a profile
  • Student graduates to the next level or topic only after meeting a benchmark
  • Can play without sound and not distract others
  • Students can save work between sessions
  • Can effectively understand and monitor student's progress (email report or in product)
  • Provides options to play in languages other than English/Good for ELL
  • Presents information in multiple formats (voice over, pictures and text, etc.)
  • Overall - Easy to use

Cognitive Concerns

May not be advisable for students with the following cognitive needs

  • Abstract Reasoning
    • Directions may be confusing for students using independently
    • Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps
  • Anxiety
    • Age inappropriate amount of work which could overwhelm or discourage students
  • Attention
    • Age inappropriate amount of work which could overwhelm or discourage students
    • Problems or examples are not interesting for the target age range
    • Directions may be confusing for students using independently
    • Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects
  • Flexible Thinking
    • Directions may be confusing for students using independently
  • Organization
    • Age inappropriate amount of work which could overwhelm or discourage students
    • Problems or examples are not interesting for the target age range
    • Directions may be confusing for students using independently
    • Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps
  • Spatial Perception
    • Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
    • Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps
  • Visual Discrimination
    • Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
    • Words used during activity can be too small or difficult to read
    • Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects
    • Directions are visually difficult to read
  • Working Memory
    • Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
    • Directions may be confusing for students using independently
    • Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps

Manufacturer Description

Super number triangles is a visual maths game for children to help them learn their times tables in both directions from 2-12 (multiplication and division). For those that already know their times tables, the highest game level is a 'Sudoku' logic style game using all times tables knowledge.

The early stages of learning basic maths skills can make a big difference on whether your child finds maths a chore or a joy. Sometimes presenting something differently can just make everything click into place. Times tables are one of the elements of maths that many children learn through memory rather than understanding the relationship between the numbers. They can tell you that 6 times 7 equals 42, but 42 divided by 7 may prove difficult for them.

Super number triangles works in a visual way, showing that 6 times 7 equals 42, 7 times 6 equals 42, 42 divided by 6 equals 7 and 42 divided by 7 equals 6.