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Bubbling Math

Mindprint Rating

Tags

Mathematics Elementary School iOS App

Skills

Working Memory

Mindprint Expert Review

Pros

  • Although speed is rewarded , there is no timer on the screen and students can still succeed if they get the answer correct no matter how long it takes.
  • The graphics are visually appealing and though the music is pleasant, it can be turned off. The user also has the option of muting the annoying sound effects while keeping the music on.
  • Problems are chunked into three games of only nine questions. This provides ample practice, yet enables students to have a sense of accomplishment.

Considerations

  • The magician cries when a student gets an answer incorrect, so this app may not be recommended for sensitive children.
  • As the levels become harder, there are more moving bubbles which may cause difficulty for students with visual attention weaknesses.
  • There is no scratchpad, so some students may need to have a scrap paper for multi-digit problems.

Mindprint Expert Review

This is a wonderful app for students to practice their mental math skills for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. An adorable magician guides students through the nine different game levels, which are grouped into spring, summer and winter themed backgrounds. After students solve the given problem, they must pop the animated bubble with the correct answer to earn a bronze, silver, or gold prize. Since adults choose the operations that they want their child to practice along with the level of difficulty up to multi-digits for each operation, this app is appropriate for children of many different ages and skill levels to play independently. Adults also have the option to view the number of sessions that were played, how many problems were completed, and the exact problems that students got incorrect for specific follow-up. The level of customization available for each operation, including speed, and the engaging graphics definitely make this a good app for a broad range of students.

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

  • Anxiety
    • A player's success depends on speed
  • Numerical Fluency
    • A player's success depends on speed
    • Requires multi-step mental math
    • Student will need to copy or write multi-digit math problems
  • Processing Speed
    • A player's success depends on speed
  • Visual Discrimination
    • Words used during activity can be too small or difficult to read
    • Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects

Manufacturer Description

Your child will love to do math tasks - because this is a game - complete with levels, goals, nice graphics and music. Your child can practice all the elementary math operations, and you, as a parent, can set what task to practice. 

**** Children's Technology Review - Editor's choice (May 2011) ****
**** Featured in Staff Favorites on App Store main page! (July 2011) ****

>> We have also version for Mac, look for Bubbling Math on Mac App Store <<

Highlights: 
* 9 different graphic levels with nice music and sounds - will make it difficult for you to stop your child from solving math tasks 
* Task configuration - easy, but powerful - to help you set what your child will practice - based on his age and skill 
* Parents section - with detailed results - you will know how many tasks your child has finished and you can even view which tasks your child finished incorrectly 
* We are motivating - not only to learn, but motivating to continue with additional tasks, because when each new level is unlocked, your child can also get 3 cups for every level (Bronze, Silver, Gold) - and it is not easy to get a Gold cup! 

We have developed this game with the help of children and teachers. Children have helped us make it fun, and teachers have ensured that it is right from an education point of view. 

3 easy steps to use: 
1. Start app and select the types of tasks that your child will practice 
2. Give iPad to your child. Now you can leave your child alone - most children know exactly what they should do :-) Or you can just watch so you can see your child enjoying - yes, believe me - math tasks 
3. After your child has finished, you can go through the incorrect answers with your child, or just quickly look at the type of task that is causing the biggest problem 

Tips: 
- you can reset game to a default state. This is useful should you want to try the game before you give it to your child, or if you want to let your child start again (possibly at a different speed) 
- you can set the game speed in the Parents' section 

And we are leaving the best until the end – because this is just the beginning. We are preparing new levels, new challenges and new game types. 

What we do love is your feedback. Honestly, we do not know the tastes of all the parents and children worldwide, so if you have any ideas or requests for additional features, we will be only too pleased to incorporate them in the next versions. Please write to us at support@tappytaps.com. We are happy, when our customers are happy. 

Yours, 

Jindrich & Jan from TappyTaps 

PS: Check out our other apps, so you can see that we are responsible developers with a great record of developing applications for the iPhone/iPad.