Education in the 21st century is evolving swiftly, prompting educators worldwide to adapt, particularly in their use of technology in the classroom. As a result, both teachers and parents are asking: What are the top math apps for kids?
With a vast array of educational apps available, it can be overwhelming to identify those that truly enhance skills, engage students, and improve learning outcomes.
To assist you in your search for quality learning tools, here are 15 of the best math apps for kids.
Prodigy is a curriculum-aligned, fantasy-based math game utilized by over a million teachers, three million parents, and 50 million students globally.
It encompasses content from all major math topics, covering more than 1,500 skills from 1st to 8th grade, along with Depth of Knowledge (DoK) levels one to three.
Players engage in math duels against in-game characters, incorporating gameplay elements from role-playing games (RPGs) like Pokémon. To succeed, they must answer sets of math questions tailored to their curriculum and learning objectives.
Teachers can customize these questions to reinforce classroom material. The game also employs adaptive learning and differentiated instruction principles to adjust content, effectively addressing each student’s specific challenges.
2. Elephant Learning Math Academy
This math platform promises that children can master a year’s worth of math in just three months with only 30 minutes of use per week.
Elephant Learning’s algorithm offers real-time reports, allowing you to track your child’s progress and the activities they are engaging with in its expanding library of math resources.
While they assert compatibility with all school curriculums by emphasizing concepts over procedures, it’s important to note that Elephant Learning is not specifically curriculum-aligned.
3. DoodleMaths
Co-founders Nicola Chilman and Tom Minor describe DoodleMaths as akin to having a good tutor. Its adaptive learning technology customizes math content based on students’ strengths and weaknesses through “7-a-day” activities.
The Parent Dashboard allows you to monitor your child's progress, highlighting areas of excellence and opportunities for improvement.
Originally developed in the U.K., DoodleMaths is also aligned with U.S. Common Core Standards, making it suitable for a wide range of students.
4. CK-12
CK-12 is a California-based non-profit organization aimed at increasing access to free and customizable open educational resources.
Upon signing up, students can access a wide range of free lessons in STEM subjects. Rather than relying on traditional hardcopy textbooks, CK-12 presents information in easily digestible formats,
including:
Textual descriptions
Video lectures
Multimedia simulations
Photo galleries
Practical experiments
Flashcards
This diverse approach helps cater to different learning styles and enhances the educational experience.
5. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a self-described “global classroom” that offers personalized learning resources for learners of all ages, both in and out of the classroom.
The platform features instructional math videos that guide students through common math problems, helping them build foundational skills. After watching the videos, learners can complete a series of questions to reinforce their understanding.
With a combination of practice exercises and instructional videos created by math content specialists, Khan Academy employs adaptive technology to identify students' strengths and learning gaps.
Recently, they introduced Khan Academy Kids, aimed at inspiring a lifetime of learning and discovery, which includes engaging math content for younger learners.
6. Buzzmath
Buzzmath is a math resource designed for different age groups, divided into three stages:
6-7 years old: Beginning to discover math
8-11 years old: In search of lost knowledge
12-16 years old: Save Buzzcity
Each stage features a series of missions that students must complete, answering math questions and progressing through a specific curriculum. Buzzmath is aligned with Common Core standards and offers separate paid plans for parents and teachers, making it a flexible option for supporting math education.
7. Rocket Math
Rocket Math is an engaging app that allows children to complete math missions to build and launch their own rockets into space!
Created by Dr. Don Crawford, the original author of the paper-and-pencil Rocket Math program, this app focuses on helping kids learn math facts across various operations.
There are 26 levels—from A to Z—each featuring three achievements: take-off, orbit, and universe. If students cannot answer a math fact in three seconds or less, Mission Control provides the problem and its answer, requiring students to demonstrate their understanding.
Teachers can create accounts and purchase seats for their classrooms. For parents who prefer not to manage multiple seats or track progress, the iOS App Store offers two standalone apps: Add at Home (and subtract) and Multiply at Home (and divide).
8. Marble Math Junior
Marble Math Junior is an interactive app designed for elementary school students to practice early math skills, focusing on foundational concepts like counting and addition.
In this engaging game, students navigate through interactive mazes, rolling a virtual marble to reach the correct answers. This approach encourages problem-solving and critical thinking as they progress through various challenges.
The hands-on nature of Marble Math Junior makes it not only suitable for young learners but also a fun challenge for gifted students in pre-kindergarten, providing an enjoyable way to reinforce essential math skills.
9. Operation Math
Operation Math transforms math drills into an exciting learning adventure where kids embark on a quest to defeat the villain Mr. Odd!
Set against various global backdrops—from the streets of Paris to the pyramids of Egypt—this app offers a thrilling way for students to practice their math skills.
Kids can choose from training runs and 105 missions, each featuring selectable math operations and skill levels, allowing for personalized learning experiences.
For those needing a quick refresher, the game includes reference math tables to support their success, making it both educational and entertaining.
10. Motion Math
Motion Math is an adaptive learning game designed to help students master challenging math standards from kindergarten through sixth grade.
The creators developed this app based on growth mindset research, focusing on improving both math fluency and conceptual understanding.
Once teachers sign up and provide their students with an access code, they can access over 900 levels of adaptive math content, which includes:
Number line
Fractions, decimals, and percents
Word problems
Operations
Mental math
And much more
This extensive range of topics ensures that students can engage with math at their own pace and build a solid foundation in essential skills.
11. Math Learning Center
The Math Learning Center offers 11 apps based on visual models from the Bridges in Mathematics curriculum, which supports teachers in fully implementing the Common Core State Standards for pre-K through fifth grade.
While these apps are not gamified like others on this list, they serve as effective digital alternatives to traditional flashcards and worksheets, providing valuable tools for math practice and understanding.
The available apps include:
Fractions
Geoboard
Math vocabulary cards
Money pieces
Number frames
Number line
Number pieces
Number rack
Pattern shapes
Partial product finder
These resources help students visualize and grasp fundamental math concepts, making them an excellent addition to any math learning toolkit.
12. DragonBox
Now owned by the quiz app Kahoot, DragonBox offers a series of educational apps that cover a wide range of mathematical topics, including numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, algebra, geometry, and more.
DragonBox employs a unique approach that utilizes motivation-based learning techniques to help children gain a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. Their method encourages students to engage with, explore, reflect on, and apply what they are learning and practicing.
This hands-on, exploratory approach not only makes math more enjoyable but also fosters a stronger grasp of the underlying principles, making it an effective tool for young learners.
13. IXL
IXL is a comprehensive learning app and website that offers a vast array of math exercises for students across all grade levels, from pre-K to 12th grade. In addition to math, IXL covers other subjects such as language arts and science.
As students complete activities, teachers receive real-time analytics on their class's progress. This data allows educators to identify struggle points and learning gaps, enabling targeted interventions and support.
IXL also serves as a valuable resource for high school students preparing for standardized tests like the SAT, making it a versatile tool for both classroom learning and test preparation.
14. Splash Math
Splash Math offers both single-grade apps and an All Grades version, allowing children to practice math content from 1st to 5th grade. This flexibility means that if a child masters 2nd grade skills, they can seamlessly progress to 3rd grade material.
The app is curriculum-aligned, featuring 351 math skills for students to learn. It adapts to each child's level, promoting self-paced learning that caters to individual needs.
Through the Parent Connect App, parents receive notifications about their child's progress, including improvements and skill completions, making it easier to stay informed and engaged in their learning journey.
15. Moose Math
Now part of Khan Academy, Moose Math is a free math app designed to help young children practice basic math skills in an engaging and interactive way. The app follows an adventure format, featuring five different activities:
Moose Juice: Create smoothies while practicing counting, addition, and subtraction.
Paint Pet: Paint pets by counting the number of dots.
Pet Bingo: Solve addition, subtraction, and counting problems to achieve BINGO.
Lost & Found: Learn and sort through shapes and colors.
Dot to Dot: Help Dusty the Funny find his way home by connecting the dots.
Moose Math primarily targets younger students, particularly those just starting elementary school or in early learning. All questions in the app align with Common Core standards, covering essential skills like counting and geometry, making it a valuable tool for foundational math education.
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