This week on @SAFM with @AshrafGarda I will be chatting about the best educational apps, especially as this is back to school season, parents and students may be looking for some apps to compliment their studies. As a mobile and growing smartphone society I have picked out my current top 3 apps that I’ve found particular useful as a parent and sometimes as a student.
1. Mathletics – http://za.mathletics.com/
Available on : iOS, Android, and available online
Price : Free but you need an annual subscription of R695 (10 day trial), discounts offered for multiple family members and there are school options.
Mathletics is an engaging platform that is targeted to the SA maths curriculum across the Foundation, Intermediate and Senior Phase. My children have been using this app for the past 18 months and they absolutely love it and don’t see Maths as this boring, mundane subject anymore as problems are presented in a way that appeals to them. The focus of this platform is to:
- promote speed and accuracy which is important for mental maths
- encourages engagement in the form of gameification – children unlock badges and move up the leaderboard.
- focus on specific mathematic concepts and the child can choose to start off at an easy level and slowly build their way up to advanced levels as they get more proficient.
- the apps have the ability to work offline (if you don’t have internet connectivity).
- parents are able to track progress and assign activities to the child
- encourages independent learning.
2. PhotoMath : https://photomath.net/en/
Available on : iOS, Android
Price : Free version for basic functionality, and inapp purchases for extra content.
Photomath is a maths app that not only solves complex math equations but teaches you how to solve them yourself. It uses your phone’s camera to scan the math equation and a recent update allows you to scan handwritten maths equations. While mental skills are important for Maths, learning the approach to complex problems is key and this app is useful in explaining the steps to get to the actual answer.
3. The Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/
Available on : iOS, Android, and available online
Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization created in 2006 by educator Salman Khan with a goal of creating an accessible place for people to be educated. The organization produces short lectures in the form of YouTube videos. There is a variety of content for all ages, from preschool to adult learning across a variety of subjects. All content is free and students can access the content at their own pace.