Mathopolis

Students solve math questions to help put out the fires in one of the many Mathopolis buildings. Players can practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division separately or together. Users can choose play or practice mode with three skill levels based on the number of seconds given to solve each equation or un-timed practice is also an option.

The math problem appears at the top of the screen and the students choose the correct answer which appears in the flames in each window of the burning building. If the answer is correct, water douses the fire in that window; if the incorrect answer is given, the window is broken or boarded up. Rather than an endless list of math facts to solve, students can focus on the specific facts that need the most practice (eg: 6,7,8 times tables). Positive feedback is given at the end of each round and the problems that were missed can be viewed with the correct answers.

This app is perfect for independent practice or play to increase both math fact speed and accuracy. A great feature of this app is to choose the exact facts and operations to practice, making it useful for a wide age and ability range of students. For young students, who are just starting to master addition concepts, simple facts can be practiced such as adding 1's, 2's and 3's. Older students can work on speed in solving multiplication and division problems. If a student is only having difficulty with certain multiplication facts, those can be the focus of the game. Many math apps on the market jump too quickly to the more difficult facts making them less useful with younger students or struggling learners with special needs. I find this app particularly helpful for my kindergarten students because I can select the difficulty level and facts they will practice. This ensures they will be more successful, which boosts their confidence as learners.

I also used Mathopolis with my twins in fourth grade to help them warm up for an approaching math test. I challenged my daughter to get two rounds with no mistakes before I let her move on to the app she was hoping to play. Another great feature is the feedback after each round, so that the learner and teacher can see the problems that were missed. The sound effects can also let the teacher know without looking if the student is solving most problems correctly or not. This is an inexpensive and practical app for any elementary or special education classroom as the skills span across the grades and varied ability levels.