Moji Multi

Moji Multi is an app for practising multiplication.  It has a quirky and original art style for this type of app which will catch the attention of children.

The activity requires players to build up a grid featuring the numbers from the times tables.  Each number is on a tile that can be dragged and dropped but only into the correct place.  Incorrect attempts are refused but otherwise have no penalties in the game.  This, coupled with a lack of time limit, makes playing this app a pressure-free activity - one that could be shared by parent and child, played alone or used as a classroom activity displayed on a shared screen.  The app tracks the progress of a single player, but its data can be easily reset for a new player - a very useful feature for schools.

As the tile is moved around the grid, it displays which of the tables it currently occupies a place within.  This is done using lines that radiate horizontally and vertically from the tile.  This characteristic really helps the player navigate the board and emphasises which tables are currently being considered.  It is a small feature but such a useful one you'll wonder why more apps with multiplication grids don't use it.

When each tile is put correctly in place, part of a picture is revealed.  When the picture is complete, an animation plays.   Each level has a different animation featuring a similar cast of characters.  These are quirky and stylish mini-stories that are fun to watch.  They punctuate the end of a level nicely and offer the player a reward.  

The grid size options are not what you might expect as they are 7x7, 10x10 and 13x13.  The numbers reflect the highest multiplication covered rather than the number of squares on the grid.  Both 10x10 and 13x13 levels are grids measuring 10 squares by 10 squares.  The 13s, however, start with the 4 times tables.

Within this activity, though, they fit well.  They are not meant to be the equivalents of the standard classroom multiplication grids (sometimes 10x10 but more often 12x12).  The different sizes create different experiences and adjust the challenge in subtly different ways.

The sizes do adjust the length of play as you would expect.  A level using the 13x13 or 10x10 grid will take longer to complete than the 7x7.  For the difficulty, this is not so straightforward.  For example, it is easy to assume that the 7x7 is easiest but there are a few points when playing this level where children might have to think hard.  If they get a tile with the number '24' on it, their first reaction might be to put it with 2x12, but, of course, the 7x7 grid does not cover the 12s.  Then they might think '8x3' but this has a similar problem.  Finally, they remember 4x6 - which is there.

This is especially useful for emphasising which numbers appear in more than one multiplication table which is essential for working with factors and multiples.  Learning times tables, after all, is not an end in itself but a skill with which lots of other mathematical tasks are made easier.  The 13x13 grid is still only 10 squares by 10 squares but covers the tables 4 through to 13, which is a number higher than usually learned but does add a little extra mental calculation into the mix.

Progress through the app is tracked as grids are unlocked.  Sadly, subsequent grids do not vary.  You may expect a subsequent level of a grid size to start and end at a different number but they are always the same.  This does limit the variety but the typical play experience for an app of this type is little and often - so completing a level each day.  As such, the lack of variety in the grids won't be a problem and the repetition will help to consolidate learning and build fluency.

As a free app that is both well made and educationally useful, Moji Multi is a strongly recommended download.  It might not occupy your child for hours, but daily use will help them to build their confidence and fluency in using the times tables. 

You can download Moji Multi on your iOS devices from the Apple App Store.