Top 3 Math Apps for iPhone or iPad

Lets face it, math is not the most intriguing or intuitive subject. For this reason, many students find learning math a real drag! As a math tutor in NYC that deals with children of all ages, I am constantly looking for fun, new ways to teach my students. Since many of them have access to an iPhone or iPad (or both), I recommend that they use their devices as an educational tool. Believe it or not, your smartphone or tablet can be a great learning resource.

Although there are tons of apps dedicated to helping math students, not all of them are worthy of purchase or are effective. Here’s a short list of my top 3 math apps for students:

Rocket Math

I am a huge fan of Rocket Math for younger math students. You start off customizing your rocket and avatar and then are launched into space to answer a multitude of questions. The game is perfect for those learning multiplication, division, subtraction and addition. The premise of Rocket Math is simple; you’re launched into outer space and you must solve math problems to increase your altitude and airtime. Every time you answer correctly, you’re also rewarded with points that can be used to upgrade and customize your rocket.

Rocket Math

Overall, this is probably my favorite math app for children. It strikes the perfect balance between entertainment and education. The graphics are also top-notch. With three difficulties-easy, medium, and hard-your child or student won’t get bored easily.  For $.99 (there’s also a free lite version), Rocket Math is an absolute no-brainer for younger students.

Math Ref

Math Ref is an informative, no-frills application with a clear purpose; to provide students with an amazing math reference. The application is super easy to use and you can find what you’re looking for in a snap. Upon starting the application, users choose from a variety of topics such as Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, etc. After clicking on a topic, users will be given more specific information like formulas, graphing functions, etc relating to that topic.

Math Ref

This is a fabulous tool that I encourage all my students to download. It has all of the information a math student could need. You can use Math Ref to study on the go or even bring it to class to avoid bringing a heavy textbook!

Math Ninja

After fiddling around with Math Ninja for a while and listening to feedback from my students, I can safely say Math Ninja is a hit. While it may not be as informative as Math Ref and even Rocket Math, Math Ninja is loads of fun and even educational at times.

Math Ninja

Math Ninja is a very simple game. Users are in control of a ninja (you guessed it!) whose chief goal is to ward off any unwanted visitors to his tree house. In between shooting stars at stray cattle, users must answer math questions along the way. The math questions cover a variety of rudimentary topics like addition, subtraction, division and multiplication. Honestly, this game is pure fun and your child or student will love playing it so much, they won’t even realize they’re learning!

As you can see, technology does have a place in education. The apps listed above are all truly excellent apps that your child or student will find entertaining and educational. What are you waiting for? Go to the app store and check some of them out!

[Recommended read: The Top 5 Encyclopedia Apps Suitable for Kids]