Numerosity
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Daily iPad App: Numerosity challenges children to learn their math facts
Math drills for elementary school children can be dry and boring, but they are a necessary part of learning math. One way to liven up this repetitive process is through Numerosity: Play with Addition!, a math facts app from ThoughtBox that recently landed in the iOS App Store. Numerosity starts off with basic addition like 4 + 5 and gradually gets more difficult with each level that is successfully completed. There are 20 levels that'll challenge most K-2 children. The app's main screen is a whiteboard-like slate that has math facts in the center and a cute character, Skruff The Streetwise Dog, on the side. Skruff cheers when your child answers a math problem correctly. When your child is not doing so well, Skruff's demeanor becomes sad. Skruff will even lay down when your child is taking too long to answer. Skruff is cute enough that he will entertain your child, but he is not the focal point of the app. Math is at the heart of Numerosity and each level presents your child with an addition problem in the middle of the screen. It also places several possible answers in a row at the bottom of the screen. Your child then taps on the correct answer to select it and drags it on top of the equation to answer the math statement. Each correct answer earns your child points. One thing you will notice right away is the timer at the top of the screen. To make Numerosity even more challenging, your child has a set amount of time to answer all the questions in a level. They must answer each question without too much delay or risk failing the level. They can pause, but the length of the pause is also limited by a timer. Each time you pause, that amount of time you are allowed gets a little shorter. It's a clever way to really challenge your children to memorize their math facts and not just count on their fingers. One aspect of Numerosity I really appreciated is that it mixes up the equations and doesn't always present your child with 10 + 2. Sometimes your child is given one addend and the answer, such as 10 + X = 15. Your child then has to select the addend that'll solve the problem correctly. This breaks up the monotony of addition and forces your child to think a bit more about the math problem in front of them. Another useful feature is the ability to setup four profiles, so you can easily use the app with multiple children. You also have the ability to print up a certificate showing that your child completed the game and mastered their math facts. Numerosity is mostly child-friendly -- there are no ads and no in-app purchases, but there is an option to send an email to the developer. Numerosity: Play with Addition! is available for US$1.99 from the iOS App Store. It's compatible with any iPad running iOS 5.1 or later.
