How Can Teachers Use It?
You could use this app as a warm-up for real class quizzes; it gets kids in the zone of mental math even though it's not very exciting. Kindergartners through second graders with a solid grasp of addition concepts, who know how to set up a problem both vertically and horizontally and are ready to take on mental math for one- and two-digit numbers, could take on the first three levels. Third graders might enjoy the challenge of adding up to six addends at once in the last level but will be turned off by the easier levels.
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What's It Like?
Editor's Note: Math Runner Plus has closed and is no longer available.
Math Runner Plus is a math game teaching addition skills for early elementary levels. Cartoonish and nature-themed, it gives kids practice in adding single- and double-digit numbers. Small stylized birds and other critters fly addends in bubbles across various terrains toward a larger bird sporting an empty bubble for the target sum. Kids tap nests with possible sums to release baby birds that rise into the air, mount a platform, and turn into marbles at the end. If kids select an incorrect sum, the baby birds disappear, the correct sum appears, and a "You Lose" message accompanies a small pulsing skull and crossbones.
Main menu levels -- easy, medium, hard, (even) very hard -- all start out the same: lowest single digits, literally 1 + 2 = 3. Each game consists of nearly 30 equations, but you must finish in order to collect your score. Each of the five levels contains 50 games of varying difficulty.
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Is It Good For Learning?
Math Runner Plus offers depth in mental adding skills but lacks variety and challenging pace. The visuals are engaging, with colorful scenes as backgrounds, but too busy overall. It's truly difficult to figure out where to tap or what you're supposed to do at first, even after reading instructions. The sounds are unique –- a marble hitting a hard surface, birds squawking –- but the squawk for an incorrect answer is the same as for a correct one. Confusing! Every single game at every single level is the same, just with a different background and different numbers; talk about repetitive. Also, scoring is complicated and quite meaningless when it comes to actually judging skill levels and improvement. Difficulty ramps up slowly, and some kids will be frustrated with random returns to easier material.
The not-so-bad: Through very slowly advancing levels and lots of repetition, kids will practice adding one- and two-digit numbers in their head, then select the correct sum. Lots of audio and visual bells and whistles will keep it interesting for some kids; others will get bored fast. However, the sound of running water and slow pace could be calming for kids who get overexcited.
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Gameplay screen showing addends 1 and 2, and possible sums 3 and 2 under baby birds.
Gameplay at higher level showing addends 6 and 6 and possible sums at bottom 5, 12, or 4. Fraction 3/10 represents third round of 10 in the game. Other numbers represent scores not explained.
View of end of game when no correct answer has been selected.
Display at end of game showing number correct and incorrect and replay button.
