What is the best math learning app?
Math doesn't have to be a dreaded subject—it can actually be a lot of fun for your learners! And using a math learning app is one of the easiest ways to make math fun.
When you're looking for the best app to learn math with your child or students, there are a lot of boxes that need to be checked. But the right app can turn boring numbers into a fun adventure.
We've scoured the web and reviewed the 15 best math learning apps for kids. If you don't have time to vet and test out a bunch of apps, this article does all that hard work for you.
And math learning apps aren't just for fun. They've been thoroughly researched to make sure that they're as effective as they are fun.
According to a study published in Springer, engaging and interactive mathematics learning apps can significantly improve math skills by making the subject more accessible and enjoyable for kids.
So, what exactly should you be looking for in a math app? Let's dive into the specifics!
Types of Math Apps
Math learning apps, like everything in life, aren’t one size fits all. And one option may be better for some than for others.
There are lots of different types of math apps out there. And knowing the difference is the first step to picking the best one for your child.
The main ways to categorize learning apps for math are game-based, productive, practice-based and constructive. These categories are widely recognized and were even used in Kay and Kwak’s 2018 study published in the Journal of Computers in Education.
Each of these types serves a different purpose and solves a different problem. Now let’s look at the characteristics of each type.
Game-based
Game-based math apps have revolutionized the way students learn by making learning math fun.
These apps combine the thrill of gameplay with educational content. They allow students to learn and practice math concepts while having fun.
Math-based classroom games often incorporate elements like leaderboards, achievements and rewards. All of these game elements can further motivate students to practice and improve their math skills.
What makes game-based math apps particularly effective is their ability to provide instant feedback and adapt to each student’s learning pace. Unlike traditional methods that often require students to wait for their teacher's feedback, these apps or browser games offer real-time responses to their actions. This helps them learn from their mistakes immediately.
Many of these apps, like Prodigy Math, use adaptive learning technology to personalize the student’s experience. Our algorithms are always adjusting the difficulty of questions based on your student's performance. This gives them a math lesson that is exactly what they need.
Productive
Productive math apps are also known as tool-based apps because they can be powerful tools that allow students to solve problems through hands-on activities.
Unlike game-based apps that focus on learning through play, productive math apps provide a platform for students to apply mathematical concepts in practical ways.
These apps often simulate real-world scenarios where students can experiment and see the immediate impact of their changes. This makes abstract concepts more concrete and understandable.
For example, apps that function as graphing calculators or geometric drawing tools enable students to visualize complex equations and shapes.
Or students can use productive math apps that encourage them to create digital products, like a model bridge using physics or programming a simple game using arithmetic.
Productive math apps prepare students to not only understand math but also to use it effectively in real-life situations.
Practice-based
Practice-based math apps are specifically designed to help students learn and master math skills through targeted skill development and repetition.
These apps typically offer a wide range of exercises and problems that focus on specific math concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication or fractions.
By providing immediate feedback and progressively challenging questions, practice-based apps help students reinforce their understanding. They’re a great way to build a solid foundation in various math skills.
This method of learning is particularly effective for developing fluency and confidence.
Some apps also include gamified elements like rewards, badges and leaderboards to make practice more enjoyable and encourage consistent use.
Constructive
Constructive math apps are designed to allow students to explore math concepts and understand new information through hands-on learning and discovery.
Unlike practice-based apps, constructive math apps emphasize exploration, problem-solving, and the application of critical thinking skills.
These apps often provide open-ended tasks or puzzles that encourage students to experiment with different strategies and approaches. These exercises often foster a deeper understanding of the math lessons that students are learning.
Constructive math apps also often focus on skill acquisition and data management.
They often provide tools for students to gather, analyze and interpret data. These apps might also include features such as interactive graphs, customizable simulations or virtual manipulatives.
By allowing students to manipulate data, explore patterns and draw their own conclusions, constructive math apps help learners build their own knowledge base and make meaningful connections between different concepts.
3 Characteristics of high-quality math apps
Source: Wikimedia Commons
When evaluating the quality of math apps, researchers have identified three key characteristics that determine their effectiveness as high-quality instructional materials.
These are:
- Perceived learning value - which refers to how well the app or educational game supports learning
- Usability - which ensures the app is easy for students and teachers to use
- Engagement - which focuses on keeping students actively involved in the learning process
Together, these elements ensure that a math app not only teaches but does so in a way that is accessible and enjoyable for students.
Perceived Learning Value
One of the most extensively studied qualities of math apps is their perceived learning value. This is how effective an app is in supporting and promoting meaningful learning experiences for students.
It’s not just about whether an app can teach a skill, but instead how well it engages students in the learning process. It should encourage understanding and foster long-term retention of knowledge.
Perceived learning value looks at whether it provides high-quality math instruction. It also examines the app’s ability to cater to different learning styles and its potential to motivate students to keep practicing.
A high perceived learning value means that students not only enjoy using the app but are also making significant progress in learning math. After using the app, they are able to apply the concepts they’ve learned in a meaningful way.
Usability
Usability refers to how easy or intuitive it is for students to navigate and use a given math app.
For a high-quality math app, the interface should be designed in a way that minimizes confusion and maximizes ease of use.
It should allow students to focus on learning rather than struggling with the mechanics of the app. If a math app requires too much cognitive effort just to use, it takes away from the actual learning of math concepts.
Whether it’s the layout, buttons or overall design, a math app should make it simple for students to find the tools they need, understand instructions and progress through lessons without difficulty.
A user-friendly app enhances the learning experience by making it accessible and enjoyable for students of all ages. App usability is especially crucial for younger students, whose attention spans and ability to process complex instructions may still be developing.
It should even be easy for those who may be less familiar with technology to use a high-quality math app.
Engagement
Engagement in a math learning app is a critical factor in determining its effectiveness.
According to Jennifer Fredricks, a Union College dean and professor, app engagement can be broken down into three key aspects: behavioral, emotional and cognitive.
Behavioral engagement refers to how well the app captures and sustains students' active participation. Features such as interactive challenges, rewards and feedback loops help maintain students' attention and make them more likely to engage consistently with the app.
Emotional engagement focuses on the emotional connection students develop with the app. A math app should evoke positive emotions like excitement, curiosity and satisfaction. Students should feel invested in their learning journey. This emotional connection can be fostered through appealing visuals, characters and storylines that make math more relatable and enjoyable.
Cognitive engagement refers to the intellectual stimulation the app provides. A cognitively engaging math app challenges students to think critically, solve problems and apply concepts in meaningful ways. This ensures that students are not just memorizing formulas but truly understanding the math concepts.
Why a Study Found that Prodigy is the Best Math App for Learning
Note: Pre- and post-tests were conducted to assess students’ performance levels before and after using all the mathematics apps.
“[Prodigy] was universally perceived as the most helpful in terms of learning basic subtraction and addition concepts… It is possible that high ratings for usability and engagement influenced students’ perceptions of learning. In addition, the game-based app could have been played at home and this extra time on task, while not formally documented, may have contributed to perceptions of increased learning.”
In a study that compared top math apps, Prodigy ranked the highest in perceived learning value.
The results showed that students who used Prodigy regularly improved their math skills more than those using other apps. This was due to its ability to engage students with a fun, game-based approach while offering personalized learning experiences.
In fact, almost 95% of students agreed that it helped them learn to add or subtract.
Teachers also praised Prodigy for its usability and real-time data features. Just over 80% of primary school students rated Prodigy second highest for ease of use.
Teachers appreciate how seamlessly they can integrate Prodigy into their lessons, using the app's real-time data to track student progress and adjust instruction as needed. This makes it easier to target specific areas where students may struggle.
Prodigy came in second to the practice-based app, Math Tappers. Interestingly, though, Math Tappers received the lowest perceived learning value rating.
“It is not surprising that this app was rated as harder to use than the practice app, given that it had a complex design involving different challenge levels, high interactivity, rich graphics and a wide selection of problems. The app’s game-like, story-based structure may have enhanced engagement and motivation, thereby explaining why it was perceived as being easier to use than the Thinking Blocks and Show Me apps.”
Prodigy also received the highest engagement rating among all students. Prodigy's engaging, game-like format keeps students motivated to practice math regularly. By turning learning into an adventure, Prodigy may reduce math anxiety and help foster a love for the subject.
“Prodigy offered a strong narrative, clear goals, a distinct rate of progression, high interactivity, adaptability to student responses and rewards. These factors have been reported as highly desirable in past studies”
Overall, Prodigy emerged as the most effective tool for fostering math success. Its ability to offer adaptive, standards-aligned questions ensures that students are always working at their appropriate level. This can easily help students build both math skills and confidence.
“This app provided a sufficiently challenging learning environment, positive feedback and rewards, friendly competition among students, adjusted questions based on student skill-level and constructive feedback.”
All of these features make Prodigy the best math learning app to add into your classroom routine or your child’s day. It’s a standout resource for enhancing math education in a way that is fun and effective.
To read about even more research that has been done on Prodigy, check out our research page.
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