Ca'Layci Coffey--App Reviews

Standard:CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.OA.A.2 Solve addition and subtraction word problems, and add and subtract within 10, e.g., by using objects or drawings to represent the problem.

Quick Math Jr.

Link to review: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/quick-math-jr

Quick Math Jr. is an educational app that has six games that focuses on six different number-sense skills through each interactive game. The skills addressed in this app include counting, subitizing, number memory, addition, number sequence, and place value. It is a free app that is compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. It’s intended age group is PreK-Kindergarten. I would use Quick Math Jr. to help teach the Kindergarten Common Core standard addressing addition and subtraction because this app includes a game that allows students to drag digital manipulatives across the screen to match a given number in the “Count and Add Bus.” This would require students to know how many more “monsters” they would need to add in order to reach the desired number given in the game. This practice with digital manipulatives will help increase fluency and confidence with addition. Commonsensemedia.org is a credible source in determining the value of this app because Common Sense Media is the “leading source of entertainment and technology recommendations for families” (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/). This website has a specific process in which they rate and review educational resources, including allowing parents, teachers, and kids to provide their reviews as well. 

Khan Academy Kids

Link to review: https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/khan-academy-kids

Khan Academy Kids is an educational app that includes activities, videos, and songs intended for students Pre K-Kindergarten. This is a free app that is compatible with Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Kindle Fire, and Fire phone. This app includes practice with a variety of learning topics and foundational skills. There are activities in math, ELA, executive function and socio-emotional learning, and creative expression. Students can move through the topics and activities, earning digital “prizes” along the way. The app provides some limited feedback that will tell teachers which topics students have mastered, and which ones they are still working on. This app includes a collection of early learning videos, songs, and activities. I would use Khan Academy Kids to help teach the Kindergarten Common Core standard addressing addition and subtraction because I would be able to assign students specific topics and activities, and then monitor students’ basic progress with those topics. Within this app, I would specifically assign students to work on the activities that provide opportunities for practice with adding and subtracting within 5, and watch the videos called “Add with Toys” and “Add in Equation”. The supplemental videos would be highly effective in helping to teach this standard because they are demonstrating addition with an object (toys) which is noted as a specific goal in the standard. The third-party review for this app is also from Common Sense Media, and, as mentioned previously, this website has a reputation for providing quality reviews of educational technology and media.

DragonBox Numbers

Link to review: https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/dragonbox-numbers

DragonBox Numbers is an educational app that allows students to explore the concept of numbers through puzzles and entertaining game play. This app costs $7.99 and is compatible with Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Kindle Fire. DragonBox Numbers focuses on basic number concepts and allows students to engage with those concepts through puzzles, challenges, and free play. Made up of four different activities, DragonBox Numbers focuses on providing practice with “combining,” (adding) “slicing,” (subtracting), “comparing,” and “sorting.” I would use this app to help in teaching the Common Core standard on addition and subtraction for Kindergarten by assigning students to spend time in the “combining” and “slicing” activities. In these activities, students practice addition and subtraction. For example, in one activity, students make the game characters, called “nooms,” “eat” each other to practice addition. To show addition, the game instructs students to have the number 3 noom “eat” the number 5 noom to become 8. There is also a version of this app called “DragonBox Big Numbers” that provides more advanced practice with addition and subtraction but is still age appropriate for the chosen Kindergarten standard. This app extension would be appropriate for a late first semester or second semester Kindergarten student that is ready for enrichment in addition and subtraction. The included third-party review is also from Common Sense Media. This website has provided age-based media reviews that are trusted by parents and educators across the country. 

Out of the three apps discussed in this blog, I feel that Khan Academy Kids is the best. This app received the best reviews out of the three on Common Sense Media, and after downloading this app and exploring it myself, it is clear that this app provides the best opportunity for exposure to the skills in this standard, as well as other math skills across all grade levels. One feature I specifically like about this app is that you can change the “level” of the activities. From levels A to D, A being for beginners and D being the most challenging level, this feature allows for teachers to differentiate the activities based on the varying needs of students. There is also a feature that allows teachers to get basic feedback on student performance, which can be useful in helping teachers to know what concepts need to be revisited either as a whole group, small group, or individually. I like that this app includes games, videos, and songs, as the variety of content will hold students’ attention instead of students getting bored of the same content. The overall ease of use of this app, the features that are included, and cost of Khan Academy Kids are my main reasons for finding this app to be the best out of the three featured in this blog.