Math Bakery First Grade

What we love about Math Bakery First Grade?

Math Bakery First Grade app is part of a series of fun educational activities that made their debut some years ago and have continued to build and improve upon their original foundations.

Too many apps debut and then die a slow death so it is great to see this already excellent app get even better.

Improvements have expanded the content, made it easier to interact with, and lifted up the app's educational value as you will see in this Math Bakery First Grade app review.

What skills does it improve?

Math Bakery First Grade provides a structured and supported approach to learning how to add and subtract as well as understand the role of place value in the number system. Halving, doubling and number bonds to ten are visualised and explained as children work through the app's challenges.  

The app's simulation of baking cookies provides visual assistance in an attractive and clear way. The cookies provide a representation of what the on-screen digits represent. This makes it easy for children to see what happens as they add and subtract in one of the multiple play modes.

What age is it appropriate for?

As you can tell by the 'First Grade' part of its title, Maths Bakery is aimed at children in this school group (which is year 2 in the English school system).

Practically, however, this app could be used by any child who's understanding of numbers has reached the point where they are ready to begin taking their first steps in addition and subtraction (as young as 4 but, typically, 5 and older). This might also include older children with special educational needs as the graphical style is not one that might feel 'too young' for them.

Is Math Bakery First Grade easy to use?

The introductory animations and spoken instructions are clear and lead the player both through the maths and how to interact with the app.

How will students benefit?

Kids can learn in a stress-free way. Incorrect answers do not carry penalties and there is no time limit unless children choose to activate it for some extra excitement.

Without timers, adults can support children as they learn and children can pause to think. When kids' confidence has grown, they can switch on the timer or challenge someone to a maths duel in the app's competitive activity.

How will teachers benefit?

The visual support that Math Bakery First Grade app provides will help kids reach the answer independently giving them the confidence to reduce their reliance on their teacher's assistance. This support is in the form of baking cookies - something of interest to many children.

Up to three children can have an account on each device with Math Bakery First Grade, lessening the demand for individual devices in classrooms. Players are not forced to follow a rigid structure through the app letting teachers direct each child to the most appropriate activity that reflects the child's current knowledge or the teacher's latest lesson.

How will parents benefit?

The app's support leans heavily on the maths principles that teachers try to highlight for children. This ensures that the learning that takes place at home with this app will mesh nicely with other tasks and challenges in the school-based maths lessons.

The Duel section of the app is also a great way to harness children's competitive spirit as brothers, sisters and parents can challenge them to a Maths Bakery duel in direct competitive play.

What Math Bakery First Grade can improve on?

There is a pdf document that adults can download to help them understand how best to use the app. This could be improved a little to help parents understand how to build on what their children learn in the app.

How much does Math Bakery First Grade cost?

There is no trial version of Math Bakery First Grade. It is available for a single one-off purchase price. The app's website includes a subtitled video giving an overview of the app that you can use alongside this Math Bakery First Grade app review to make your decision.

Is Math Bakery First Grade safe to use?

As well as being entirely appropriate for its targeted age group in terms of its educational content, Math Bakery First Grade contains no external links or advertisements.  

Overall rating of the app

As you'll surely be able to tell in this Math Bakery First Grade app review, we really like this app. Kids using it get good quality practise, consistent and useful support, and some good cookie and math-based fun. Math Bakery First Grade app, in its latest form, deserves its 5 stars.