A maths practice tool
How do I build a maths practice app with times tables and sums for my child?
In the Builder, say in Bangla which class it is for and what kind of sums you want, such as two digit addition or the seven times table, and ask for a fresh sum every time, instant right or wrong marking, and a step by step working shown for each one. Finish by asking for a score. It is free on the free Models.
What you are building
A maths practice tool. A sum appears on the screen, something like 47 + 28. You type an answer, press it, and straight away you learn whether it was right or wrong. If it was wrong, the working is shown line by line. Then a fresh sum, and another, for as long as you like. The count of how many you got right sits at the top throughout.
Parents love this one. Sit your child down for ten minutes a day and that is it, new sums keep arriving on their own and nobody has to invent questions every evening. Teachers can build one for the class and hand out the link.
Step by step
- Decide what kind of sums. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, or times tables. Think about how big the numbers should be too, single digit, two digit or three digit.
- Name it in the Builder and start. Go to the Builder tab, type a name such as Rafi's Maths Practice, then press to start building.
- Say clearly what you want. Write the class, the kind of sums, the size of the numbers and how the result should be shown, all in one go. A sample is below.
- Do a few sums yourself. In the preview on the right, give some wrong answers on purpose. Check that the working really explains itself.
- Split it into difficulty levels. Ask for three buttons at the start, easy, medium and hard. As your child grows you just change the button.
- Share it or put it on the phone. The share button gives you a link. Once published it can also sit on a phone home screen and then it runs without internet.
Two sample prompts:
Build a maths practice app for a class three child. Two digit addition and subtraction, with a fresh sum appearing on its own each time. When I type an answer and press, show whether it is right or wrong, and if it is wrong show the working step by step. At the top keep a count of how many are right and how many wrong. All text in Bangla, in large type, with buttons big enough to tap easily on a phone.
Now add a times tables section. Any table from 2 to 20 can be picked, the whole table shows first, then it asks questions in random order. After ten questions show the score and say which ones were wrong.
Ways to make it better
- Name the class. Writing class two or class eight sets the difficulty on its own, so you do not have to spell out number ranges yourself.
- Insist the working really teaches. Say the answer must be shown the way it is done on paper, line by line, not just the final number.
- Ask for big type and big buttons. A small child will be tapping a phone, so large text and buttons let them run it without help.
- Add encouragement. Ask for a little cheer after five correct in a row. Children stay with it far longer.
- Keep a list of the misses. Showing at the end which kind of sum went wrong most often makes the weak spot obvious at a glance.
Mistakes many people make
- Assuming the score shows up on every phone. How your child scored stays in the browser where they did the sums. Open it on your own phone and you see your own count, not theirs. To know, look at their screen.
- Being vague. Say only build a maths app and there is no telling what you get. Which class, which operation, how big the numbers, say it and the first attempt is already useful.
- Asking for everything at once. Demand addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, tables, fractions and geometry in one breath and all of it comes out half done. Start with one and ask for more later.
- Not checking the answers. Work a few sums out yourself and compare, especially division and fractions.
What to do next
Once the maths tool stands on its feet, ask for a daily record so you can see how long your child practised on which day. The whole recipe for holding a habit is in the routine app guide. And if you want a question and answer test rather than sums, have a look at the quiz app guide.
Beginner questions
Will my child just memorize the answers?
No, the numbers change every round. There is nothing to memorize, only the method to learn.
Up to which class level?
The whole school range: arithmetic through algebra, geometry, trigonometry. Name the chapter you want.
Does it scold mistakes?
Never. It shows where the slip happened, step by step. Mistakes are the whole point of practice.