Do you have a child who will only do something if they think it’s fun? Well my 5 year old definitely fits in that category! He won’t go anywhere near a Kumon workbook, and tries to flick to the “interesting looking” pages in his “Cars” workbook. If your child is aged 5-13 years old and hates maths worksheets, take a look at Maths Whizz.

My son is actually having fun with our weekly maths and English routine. He plays on Maths Whizz one day, then on Reading Eggs the next and looks forward to it, even on the weekends! He’s doing the UK version of the program, but there’s a US curriculum version as well.

I’ve reviewed Maths-Whizz on Maths Insider before and even awarded it the Best Online Maths Program award just a few months ago, I’ve been a fan for a while now, but here are 10 real reasons why my 5 year old is looking forward to doing his Maths-Whizz today!

1. Bedroom decoration

Each Maths-Whizz student gets a “bedroom/playroom” as a launchpad to other activities. My son often changes the color of his room (the purple and yellow combination is a particularly painful one!) and plays with the animated objects in his room.

2. Shopping

My son loves to shop! With the credits he earns for doing the exercises and test, he’s straight into the Maths Whizz shop to buy toys, accessories and pets for his Maths Whizz playroom. His Maths-Whizz cat needs regular feeding, so he has to do the exercises regular to earn credits to buy cat food for his pet!

3. Only 10 questions

Each exercise only has 10 questions (some have less) so he can literally whizz through his work. The tests after each exercise are also short and at his level only have 5 questions.

4. Easy to click around

Navigation around the site is super easy. My son rarely asks “What does this do?” He’s able to login and access all the exercises, tests, games and activities independently. (I’ve set his password as “dinosaur”, but now that he’s learnt how to spell that, I can change it to another tricky spelling word.)

5. Show and tell

There’s always a step by step example of how to do the questions at the start of the exercise and the questions increase in difficulty gradually, making it easy to follow. Each time he does get a question wrong, both the method and the answer are given making it less likely that he’ll make repeat mistakes. The video below shows how Maths-Whizz guides kids to the right answer.

6. Mini games

If your child likes computer games, they’ll be rushing to earn credits to access the arcade style games in the Mini Games section. My son loved these quick bursts of fun at first, but has now decided that he’d rather spend his credits on his Maths Whizz pets.

7. Only 45 mins a week

Maths-Whizz recommends that the average child spends 45 minutes per week on the program. My son usually takes around 5-15 minutes to do 1 exercise and the accompanying test, but will sometimes do 2 or 3 sets if he’s in the mood. He still has plenty of time to play!

8.  Getting better

My son can see a summary of his results presented with a screenshot of the activity as well as a pie chart, in his console. On my parent’s dashboard I can get a more detailed breakdown of his results, including his current and historic maths age. By virtue of doing Maths Whizz a few times a week, my son can see that his maths age is increasing.

9. Goofy animations

The animated characters are really childish in a good way. My son chuckles when he sees the “Super Ant” and often calls me over to see what slapstick antics the characters are up to in between questions.

10. Challenge time!

Maths Whizz encourages kids to review and repeat exercises through the “Challenge” feature. My son can choose a topic, then challenge another  player to see who can score the most points in that exercise. He likes this non-threatening competition, especially since it’s on a topic that he’s covered before.

This Maths Whizz/Reading eggs combination is working really well for my 5 year old. There are days where I find he’s already started on his online “homework” without being reminded, which makes for one less thing to nag him about. I’ve also spoken personally to parents of older children whose kids are also fans. It’s my first recommendation for friends of mine who call me and ask how they can support their child’s maths.

You and your child can play around with Maths-Whizz on the free trial.  Let me know what  you think!

This is a guest post by Vernon Morris of Engaging Edu Inc

Helping your child navigate their path through the study of mathematics can be quite challenging and, for some of us, can seem impossible. We don’t all remember those Geometry theorems from our own high school days!

photo credit: dullhunk

Content knowledge is just one challenge we parents have. Sometimes, a much more daunting problem is your child’s engagement ( or lack of) with math.  Whether you are struggling to help your child with some tough problems or just looking for ways to better engage your son/daughter, there are some awesome tools that can help out.

All of the applications in this post  either A) make math more fun or  B) help you understand how to solve literally any type of math problem. Do you want to take an integral–no problem, it can be done right on the internet for you!  Do you want to a visual way of solving your math homework? Also, not a problem, it’s on the internet and best of all-it’s free. Let’s look at 4 of the most powerful math web apps:

1) Meta-calculator

URL: www.meta-calculator.com/online/

Cost: Free online version, pay for the mobile app on the iphone/ipad

Age level: Middle school through college.

Type: Web application and Iphone/Ipad App

Meta calculator is a multi purpose graphing, scientific calculator that is feature packed and has a clean intuitive interface. Its features are vast but here  are some that standout:

• graph up to 7 equations  and find their intersections
• trace a point or produce a table of values for any of the equations
• save an image of your graph to your computer
• scientific calculator with everything you’d expect including memory storage and usage as well as a handy equations solver
• matrices vector calculator that does addition, multiplications, additions and also lets you transpose or invert a matrix
• statistics calculator for doing everything from regressions, standard deviations to t-tests

You can also send your statistical data to the graphing calculator and plot out thepoints, regressions lines etc.. There are lots of nice calculators on the internet but this one stands out by the sheer number of its features and its easy to use interface.

2) Mathway.com

URL: www.mathway.com

Cost: Free to see answers, pay to see work

Age level: Middle school through college.

Type: Web application plus a mobile ready website

Mathway falls in the category of tools to help you solve specific math problems. It can solve, literally, just about any type of problem from middle school through high school including Calculus and statistics. It is free to see the answers but you do have to pay to get access to all of the steps.

What sets mathway.com apart from similar programs like Wolfram Alpha (described below) is its easy to use set of example problems–see the left side column.  The user interface is also quite intuitive . Just use the tabs at the top to chose your topic (Algebra, Precalculus etc..) and then either start typing your problem or look on the left side for example problems. Although there is no mobile app of this problem, mathway does have a mobile version of its website.

3) Wolfram Alpha

URL: http://www.wolframalpha.com/

Cost: Free online version, pay for the mobile app on the iphone/ipad

Age level: Middle school through college and beyond.

Type: Web application and Iphone/Ipad App

WolframAlpha is very simlar to mathway.com–they are both tools that solve virtually any math problem and that can show you all of the work! Like Mathway, WolframAlpha offers a vast array of problem solving help from  adding fraction (see example below) to working with matrices, vectors, and Calculus concepts!  It is actually more comprehensive than Mathway.com!

However, most of us will never need to use the math that differentiates WolframAlpha. Don’t get me wrong, if you are an engineering major, WolframAlpha will have the edge on this front. However, if you are a parent trying to help your child Mathway.com and WolframAlpha will both offer more than enough content!  WolframAlpha beats out Mathway.com in two areas:

#1) it has a mobile app unlike mathway.com

#2) it shows all of the work for free!

So, you might be wondering why anyone would choose mathway.com over WolframAlpha–the answer comes down to mathway’s superior UI and those great example questions.  I suggest trying out both of the sites, and if you think mathway.com is worth it, then pay for the steps, if not, stick with Wolfram.

4)  Math Homework Help:  Ask your math homework questions and get answers from live people!

URL: http://www.mathwarehouse.com/ask/questions/

Cost: Varies

Age level: Middle school through college and beyond.

Type: Web Application.

It’s one thing to get answers from a computer like WolframAlpha, it’s quite another to get actual homework help from a live person! Mathwarehouse’s home helper offers a pain free way to get answers to your math questions. Teachers, tutors and math enthusiasts man this homework marketplace. Answers are usually provided within a few hours!

So..if you’re ever stumped and WolframAlpha doesn’t provide enough guidance, go to the homework helper at Mathwarehouse.com and post your math homework questions! Most of the help that you can on the site is free but you can also pay the tutors to help you answer your questions, if you are in a rush or need a lengthy explanation.

Wrapping it up:

I hope you find these tools helpful. They are, too my knowledge, some of the best resources out there for helping shore up content knowledge and for getting kids to like doing math.  Try a few of them out and let me know your thoughts! Are there any other great tools out there that I missed?

Vernon Morris lives in Westchester, New York and  runs Engaging Edu Inc, an education company that makes education based websites and apps–mainly focused on the Math Education niche

Watch the video below to find out how Playrific.com can help your young child avoid dodgy You Tube videos and learn some stuff too! (If you’re reading this post in your mailbox, you may need to click on “display images” to see he video, or watch it on You Tube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YR3gbyMzxM )

Details on how Maths Insider readers can  grab a free Playrific premium account are below the video review!

• Playrific.com is a safe, cool website where young kids (3-7 yrs) can watch videos, look at photos, play games and hear stories.
• Premium account holders get fresh educational and entertaining content every week tailored to their child’s interests.
• The fancy Google Chrome Playrific plugin allows you to share selected photos from your Facebook account for your child to view (and rate!) on their Playrific Dashboard.

Grab a free premium account, for Maths Insider readers, by clicking: playrific.com/site/landing/ma3kj2dds9

Did you know that there are over 4000 “maths” iPad apps on the market?

If you’re a typical iPad owner with kids, it’s almost certain that your children have made it a full time mission to take control of your fragile tablet, firstly by using it at every available opportunity and then by packing it full of wall to wall games. If your iPad is drowning under the weight of mindlessly fun physics games or poor quality educational apps, then check out this list of 16 maths iPad apps that are actually both educational and great fun!

1  Rocket Math – $0.99

Rocket math appeals to the most basic instinct in kids, which is usually not to learn maths, but is to collect stuff and build stuff. Of course it covers the essential 4 operations but also covers topics such as telling the time, money, shapes and even square roots. Kids get to build a rocket which is powered by a realistic physics engine and launch their rocket into space to answer questions and collect maths objects. Designed for kids aged 4-12 years old, there’s plenty of maths (and rocket building) in this app to keep kids usefully occupied for many hours.

2 ArithmeTick Math Flash Cards – Free

ArithmeTick lacks the cool graphics of other apps, but it’s strangely addictive and gets the job done. This app has 5 difficulty levels from easy to Einstein and gives kids flash card style training for each of the 4 basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division.) What works well are the timed challenges which offer points and additional time for correct answers.

3 Mathemagics – Mental Math Tricks – $1.99

 With nearly 2000 4.5 star reviews, this mental maths trainer app is a good choice for older children (and adults) who want to go beyond basic arithmetic and become mathematicians. Presented in a notebook style, with clear explanations of how to perform these mental maths tricks along with a practice mode allowing you to perfect your maths tricks.

4 Kids Ace Math – Free

 A nice maths app for kids aged 3 and up. Kids Ace Math features kid (if not adult) friendly graphics and nice visualizations to help little ones see the visual representations of the 4 basic operations. What’s good about this app is that the settings can be adjusted to your child’s ability allowing the app to grow with your child.

5 Math Bingo – $0.99

 This universal app (purchase once and use on both your iPhone and iPad) can be played in one of 3 difficulty levels, with up to 5 profiles (handy if you have more than on child), using any of the 8 avatars and features bug prizes. The brightly rendered bingo card concept with animated bugs adds a level of interest to this 4 operations game.

 6 Math Puppy – Free

The cute animated puppy, bright graphics and upbeat music make this bingo math challenge game engaging for little ones. Basic subtraction is included in the free version, with addition, multiplication and division challenges available through in-app purchase.

7 Math Drills Lite- Free

 A popular maths app with basic graphics, this app is a glam-free way to learn basic math skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. What does work well is that it gives visual representations of the maths problems using number lines, wooden blocks and hints and includes that old favorite, working out the nine-times times tables using your fingers!

8 Team Umizoomi Math – $4.99

 The high quality production of the audio and graphics, as well as the use of Nick Jr’s UmiZoomi characters, explain the high price point of this app. Featuring maths ideas ranging from counting to addition/ subtraction and number lines, this preschool game is a firm favorite with my 3 year old. Games are leveled, and designed to increase in difficulty. Appropriate hints are provided to support your child as they practice and build their maths skills.

9 Intro to Math by Montessorium – $4.99

 This beautifully designed app uses classic Montessori methods to teach maths basics such as number recognition, sequence, and spatial relationships. It even introduces odd and even numbers. Montessori resources such as number rods and sandpaper letters are reinvented for the digital age to provide a rich learning experience for preschoolers. This app also features language support for 7 different languages.

10 Teach Me – 1st Grade – $0.99

 Although  not exclusively a maths app, Teach Me – 1st Grade deserves a mention here for the way it manages to engage children. My 5 year old proclaimed that he didn’t need to go to school after playing with the Kindergarten version of this game over several weeks. Taking advantage of children’s desire to be like grown-up’s and buy things, the various themed stores offer stickers that kids can buy using coins they earn during game play. The handwriting recognition engine helps to reinforce number formation and addition and subtraction are taught from and to 20.

11 Math Evolve – $1.99

 Math Evolve’s graphically rich “Story Mode” mixes the usual 4 operations maths practice with classic arcade-style gameplay, creating a true synergy between learning and play. Players embark on epic math adventure across three unique environments: microscopic, ocean, and space. The app’s “Practice Mode” can be used  to provide customizable math practice. Works on both the iPhone and the iPad with one purchase.

12 Motion Math Zoom – Free

 Motion Math Zoom’s zoomable, stretchable number line is missing some numbers – it’s up to your child to put the numbers back where they belong. What works really well is that the game uses concrete objects to represent abstract numbers: from dinosaurs in the thousands down to amoebae in the thousandths. Fun animal animations and sound effects help school children master the number line, and get a real feel for how big (or small) numbers really are. The first 6 levels are free, and a further 18 levels can be accessed with an in-app purchase.

13 Doodle Numbers HD – Free

 An addictive and simple family number game, Doodle Numbers HD offers plenty of arithmetic practice.  Why spend time mindlessly matching coloured shapes when with this game you can clear the game board by matching numbers based on the rules given at each level. Scoring a consistent 4.5 stars from nearly 1000 reviews, this  app makes arithmetic a fun family activity!

14 Super 7 – $0.99

 A favorite in our house, it’s easy to dismiss Super 7 as being a simple maths game as the numbered discs slowly float onto the screen. However minutes later as you’re frantically working out addition sums with numbers (including negative numbers), while making sure certain increasingly fast floating discs don’t touch each other, you’ll realize that both your mental maths and your reaction skills have undergone some targeted training. 4.5 stars from over 8000 ratings says it all.

15 Brain Tuner 2 Pro – $0.99

 This brain training maths app takes addition, subtraction, multiplication and division questions and turns them into a challenging math game for adults and children. In each of the 5 game modes, players earn “brain cells” as they answer questions. There’s a game center and a multiplayer mode where players can play over the internet.

16 Math Ninja HD – $1.99

 Combining cool video game play with maths means that kids won’t realize how much math they’re actually doing while playing Math Ninja. You can customize the game to focus on particular operations and number ranges while your child defends themselves against Tomato-San, who is building a robotic army to steal their tasty math treasure!

For more great iPad/iPhone apps, check out Bon’s post 10 Great iPhone/iPad Apps over at Math Four.

Which maths iPad apps have worked well for your child? Tell me in the comments below!

Shad Moarif runs the Karismath website where he offers lessons that explains Mathematics visually, using the principle of Visual Mediation and UDL (Universal Design in Learning). Check out the free Karismath You Tube videos which are perfect for breaking down concepts for visual learners. Find out how Karismath uses maths mixed with psychology to “turn minds.”

Tell us about yourself.  Why did you develop Karismath?

I have background in Psychology, Reading and Mathematics. It’s a unique combination which makes it possible for me to come at Mathematics teaching from 3 perspectives:

(a) the remedial one, from my experience with Special Needs learners (in Language Acquisition)

(b) the mathematical one, in terms of familiarity with the language of mathematics, its developmental and progression aspects etc.

(c) familiarity with learning theories, cognitive development and it various stages, researching into how growing minds learn numerosity, numerical reasoning, processing numbers etc.

I developed Karismath to help a population of school-going children who are underachieving, or chronically failing Math. This happens to be over 75% of the global population. I developed Karismath after I realised that it is not the learners who are failing Mathematics, but Mathematics…and the way it is taught…that is failing the children. They needed a new start, a fresh new break away from the old ways. I think Karismath offers them this opportunity.

Do you have children? What are their ages?

Yes, I have two girls, well…they’re young women, now. One works in Washington DC, the other in London, UK.

What is the best part of developing new resources for Karismath?

The creative element, the designing of the exercise templates and seeing how all the visual scaffolding “fits” together with the target concept, like a key in a lock. Until I hear it “click” I keep trying.

Which is your personal favorite feature of the Karismath program? Why?

The animation and the imagery. Because the imagery has to capture a way of thinking. It has to capture the thinking that goes on behind the Maths, behind those numbers and their connections with other numbers. Capturing all that visually is exciting because I am always getting challenged by “how do I distill this concept visually?” Or “How do I illustrate this transition from a to b, visually, using movement?”. And if I can do it in such a way that the most implicit thinking is made explicit, then I feel I have succeeded.

How do you personally support your own children’s maths learning?

Fortunately, they are both successful professionals in their own fields, and I hesitate to approach them with an offer of a Maths lesson!

Which other maths program do you admire? Why?

I like what Sal Khan is doing with the Khan Academy Math. I admire it because he is doing exactly what I was doing 30 years ago: teaching exactly the same way. So I could be accused of admiring him for really very ego-centric reasons. But his over-million-user success has doused water on a lot of the fancy bells-and-whistles hi-techie-talk approach to Mathematics Teaching programs and efforts. I admire his Math because it is his content that is so compelling, so simple and inviting. He makes what feels hard, feel easy. I think any program that does that deserves admiration.

What are your predictions for the next year for developments in maths programs?

Very hard to predict. I think technology, especially the Applications on mobile devices will be playing a larger role. There will be a continuing movement towards developing new courseware in Maths, courseware that gives a new face, a new look-and-feel to Maths learning. Maths will start to develop an appeal for a broader and deeper segment of the majority of Maths-haters.

As well as the free You Tube videos, Karismath offers great value packs of animated maths demos and worksheets for parents to use with their visual learners.

I’m taking a 1 month break from posting new posts here on Maths Insider while I work on other projects. In the next few weeks I’ll be highlighting some posts I’ve written here and on other websites that you may have missed. Enjoy!

I wrote the following guest post for the cool maths blogger Bon Crowder over at Math is Not a Four Letter Word. When I ran a Kumon centre I would often enrol teens who had weak mental maths skills, which were causing them to struggle with maths. Fixing this problem enough to give them the confidence and skills to improve their maths took around 6 months, but if the goal is to only to sort out their times tables, then this can be done in much less time. Read on to find out how!

Does your middle- or high-schooler know their times tables? If the answer is a resounding “Yes” then, great, have a great day, and read the other great tips here at MathFour.

I also have some great tips and advice on how to guide your child to maths success on my Maths Insider site.

If not, then it’s time to help your teen develop their own times tables boot camp……… Read more …….

I’m taking a 1 month break from posting new posts here on Maths Insider while I work on other projects. In the next few weeks I’ll be highlighting some posts I’ve written here and on other websites that you may have missed. Enjoy!

One of my first guest posts was for the Wild About Math website: Sneaking Math into Children’s Diets, where I found some fascinating facts from the 2010 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records and made up some cool maths questions to accompany them. Here’s a sneak peak at the post:

This blog post is the culmination of a fight; a really big fight. You see when Sol invited me to guest post on Wild About Math! I took it as an opportunity to seize possession of the big, shiny, blue book my 10 year old had kept hidden away for the past 6 months so that she wouldn’t have to share it with her brother, The Guinness Book of World Records.…Read More….

Go to the Guinness World records website or grab your own copy of the Guinness Book of Records (the shiny new 2012 edition is available here on Amazon) and see if you and your child can make up your own maths questions from this cool book of world breaking facts!

I’m taking a 1 month break from posting new posts here on Maths Insider while I work on other projects. In the next few weeks I’ll be highlighting some posts I’ve written here and on other websites that you may have missed. Enjoy!

I’m taking a 1 month break from posting new posts here on Maths Insider while I work on other projects. In the next few weeks I’ll be highlighting some posts I’ve written here and on other websites that you may have missed. Enjoy!

I’m a big fan of the Math Four blog run by Bon Crowder. She’s an expert at talking straight when it comes to helping kids with maths. I love the idea of her Mathematician Parent series where she interviews real life maths educators and asks them how they use maths with their own kids. I was excited to share my own family maths experiences in this interview on the Math Four website. Here’s an extract:

MathFour: How do you play with your kids? In particular, what kind of math play do you do compared with non-math play?

Caroline: We talk a lot about maths, we like showing them You Tube videos or Ted Talks related to maths or science, but we also try to expose them to different things like poetry, anthropology, and business.

MathFour: Do you think you speak with your children or behave differently than other parents because you have a math background?

…..Read more…

Check out the other fascinating Mathematician Parent interviews in the series!

I’m taking a 1 month break from posting new posts here on Maths Insider while I work on other projects. In the next few weeks I’ll be highlighting some posts I’ve written here and on other websites that you may have missed. Enjoy!

I wrote a guest post Maths With Kids in the Kitchen, for Maths Insider reader, Shirley Peries who runs a blog about making fun and nutritious food for the whole family called Enriching Your Kid. Check it out:

Carribean Fry Bakes (Maths with Kids in the Kitchen) 
Math is one of those school subjects that gets a bad rap. Kids find it boring, parents find it difficult to help out and teachers don’t have time to make sure their students are solid in their basic maths skills. One of the best ways to overcome this is to “play” with math. Baking is a great way to practice basic math skills with kids. In one cooking session your kids can play with:

• counting
• dividing
• measuring
• reading scales
• fractions
• ratios

Yes it does make the preparation time twice as long and the mess – oh the mess, but kids love being all “grown-up” and helping in the kitchen and it’s a great time to highlight some maths. Just a few days ago we made a tasty Lemon Zucchini cake and my 5 year old insisted on knowing about the “half” measurements on the measuring jug. Give it a go and see what maths you can find in your kitchen!