KidsAbacus

[appimg 660223488]

App Info

Price: [app 660223488] {price}
AppStore User Rating: {stars}[/app]

Overview

KidsAbacus is a Montessori math app that teaches children a variety of math skills using the abacus. With more than just an abacus to explore, this app includes addition, subtraction, and two free play options that children can use for hands on learning and practice. For little ones just beginning to learn basic math concepts, this app is great.

Features include:

• 6 Difficulty levels
• 4 Activities
• Addition/Subtraction problems

Quality

KidsAbacus is a simple app to use and explore and while it doesn’t have many of the bells and whistles some apps have, it serves it’s function. The graphics include an interactive multi-color abacus that children can use for each activity. The audio includes a narrator that will call out the number as players move the beads on the abacus. While the narration can be turned off, the voice that is used is computerized and robotic in nature. Compared to other apps with regular narration, the audio for this app could definitely use some work. With that said, the app is fairly easy to use allowing children to move the beads from side to side as they explore or answer the various math problems.

Education

KidsAbacus includes four activities for children to explore. The first two are free play options, that closely resemble one another, with the difference being a counter at the top of the second activity. The second activity also is set up to simplify the number of beads by moving he ‘tens’ bead automatically if 10 of the single beads are moved. The third and fourth activities allow children to practice addition and subtraction by providing a math problem to answer using the abacus. The developers have also included six difficulty levels that provide more of a challenge for more advanced players.

As far as educational apps go, this app is a good way for children to practice their math skills in a more hands on way, however using an abacus can be confusing for some children if they aren’t familiar with how it works. It would be nice to include a bit of information about how to use the abacus as well as why you would use one in the first place. I also think making the first and second activities even more different would help players get the most out of the two free play options.

Entertainment

Not rated for entertainment

Value

Priced at just under three dollars this app is an overall good deal. For an educational app it does include a variety of levels and activities for children to use as they practice their math skills. While it isn’t the most engaging educational app, it does serve it’s function and provides a hands on way of learning.

Child Friendliness

KidsAbacus is a fairly intuitive app that children can easily use to practice their math skills. The overall concept of the app is simple and while it doesn’t have a ton of bells and whistles, it does serve its function. It would be nice to have a different narrators voice and maybe some sort of reward system to help keep children engaged. Adding a bit more information about the abacus and how it works would also be helpful for children.

Parents will be happy to know that this app is safe to use. While the options button takes players to the settings section of the app that includes social media icons, the links are protected so young children aren’t likely to get into that area. The other options to change the level, narration, sound effects etc. are not protected.