Math Bakery 1 – Start Counting

Math Bakery 1 – Start Counting App Review

App Info

Price: $2.99

Overview

Math Bakery 1- Start Counting is designed to help young children learn foundational addition and subtraction skills. The app features six games for each operation and a “duel” mode that pits players against one another (or against parents or teachers) in friendly competition.

Features include:

  • 6 games for addition and 6 for subtraction
  • Intuitive interface that is easy for young children
  • Foundational instruction in grouping by tens
  • Interactive and engaging
  • Easy to follow tutorials and help

Quality

Math Bakery 1 – Start Counting is a very high quality app that features an easy-to-use, intuitive interface perfect for preschoolers and other young children. Activities use a drag-and-drop interface, followed by number selection to answer the questions. The addition of a number line that matches up with the rows of cookies provides a great way for kids to double check their counting skills. I just wish, though, that the number line showed all of the numerals from 1 to 10. As it stands, it shows numbers 1, 5, and 10 with placement dots where the other numbers go. At least for users at the beginning levels, this tool would be better if it showed all of the numbers in their places.

The app can accommodate up to three separate users, and keeps records of their play performance. This is ideal for situations where an adult cannot watch what a player is doing, and makes the system very useful in educational settings in particular.

Education

This app is highly educational for young children (preschool through grade 1). Developers did a fine job of making foundational concepts (such as one-to-one correspondence, counting, and grouping by 10s) very clear with the design of the system and the use of various cookie shapes.  The app shows two groups of cookies, and had kids add or subtract by moving them around the baking sheet.  For addition, the second group is moved up to the top line to make a group of ten if possible, then kids count the total number of cookies. For subtraction, there is a row of cookies, and players must pull the number subtracted down to a lower area, then count the remaining cookies.  As in the addition games, there is a lot of stress on how to work with groups of ten (full rows). Activities are timed by default, but there is option to turn the timer off if you want a lower-key activity for your children.

Math Bakery 1 – Start Counting will help kids improve their beginning addition and subtraction skills with hands-on, concrete experiences that are designed for young children. Developers are correct when they proudly say, “It’s just like having your own private teacher helping, encouraging and correcting.”

 

Entertainment

The illustrations and animations in this app are engaging for young children (who doesn’t like cookies??).  The starring children get to help their dad make Christmas cookies in a bake shop, and of course learn basic math skills at the same time. As players complete a few items, they are rewarded with a happy, nonverbal response. When the timer rings at the end of the round, players can watch their sets of successfully counted cookies run through the cash register and accumulate stars to build a gingerbread house.

Value

Math Bakery 1 – Start Counting is $1.99 in the App Store and $2.49 on Google Play. This is a good value because the app provides solid foundational experiences in a concrete way to help young children master basic addition and subtraction. Many kids need this kind of manipulative practice, and often, they need more practice than can be provided in the classroom setting. Math Bakery 1 – Start Counting is the perfect supplement to teaching these early computation skills, and it allows for the kind of exploration of numbers that builds an intuitive understanding of math concepts.

 

Child Friendliness

This app is very child friendly. There are no in-app purchases, links to the internet, or outside advertising, so parents and teachers can let children play with confidence, knowing that they can’t get into any sort of difficulties while using the app.

  • NO external links
  • NO social media
  • NO 3rd party ads
  • NO in-app purchases
Math Bakery 1 – Start Counting
Math Bakery 1 - Start Counting
Math Bakery 1 – Start Counting is a wonderfully hands-on and manipulative app that will help preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first graders master basic addition and subtraction skills. It not only helps children practice simple problems, but it reinforces the underlying concepts such as making groups of ten while the children play.
Quality
Education
Entertainment
Value
Child Friendly
5