My Math App “Penelope Teaches Times Tables” is a Great Tool for Learning Multiplication Facts
It is sweet, fun, engaging, and above all useful!
Good Vibes, Ad-Free
There are many things that make the app “Penelope Teaches Times Tables” a terrific way for kids in elementary school to learn multiplication. But first and foremost the best part about it is how positive and warm-hearted it is. The app is slow, and peaceful, and cute, and filled with good vibes.
As such, it has no ads whatsoever. And no tracking, or data mining, either. After all, apps that target children should never have ads, period. Nor should they track users.
“Penelope Teaches Times Tables” is about teaching kids some valuable math skills, not trying to sell them stuff.
See For Yourself
The app is available for download right now:
Apple App Store / Google Play Store
How the App Works
In a nutshell, “Penelope Teaches Times Tables” is similar to using flash cards to learn how to multiply. Students choose from 16 different math challenges that range in difficulty from learning 2s to learning 13s, plus a few others.
There is an option under “Settings” to “Show Ontario Curriculum,” which turns on labels that indicate what grade level each challenge focuses on.
Specifically, in Ontario:
Grade 3 students learn how to multiply: 2, 5, and 10
Grade 4 students learn: 1 to 10
Grade 5 students learn: 1 to 12
Going up to 13s was put in just for fun, and goes way beyond any expectation in Ontario and pretty well anywhere on planet Earth. But some kids are real keeners!
Practice, Practice, Practice
In addition to the core game with the 16 math challenges, there is also a “Practice mode” where users can “learn how to do the math.” Students select a number to work with, and then can either do “Snake Mode” (essentially skip counting upward, then back down again) or “Normal Mode” (with randomized questions, just like “Challenge mode”).
Multiple studies show that practicing times tables daily, just for a few minutes at a time, is a terrific strategy for building multiplication fact fluency. There are mechanisms built into the game, like giving in-game rewards for using the app on consecutive days, that promote daily practice.
Unlike Challenge mode, Practice mode is untimed.
Furthermore, the answers to each question can be shown from the start, or shown after users take more than 3 seconds to supply an answer.
Video: Practice Mode explained (Youtube short)
The Goal Is Automaticity
“Penelope Teaches Times Tables” builds automaticity, which means “the ability to perform a task without consciously thinking about the details.”
ACCURACY + QUICKNESS = AUTOMATICITY
The “Practice mode” is the acquisition stage, where accuracy is built. The “Challenge mode” is timed and promotes quickness. Together these modes build math fact fluency.
Final Thoughts
Knowing multiplication facts creates a foundation upon which more advanced math skills can be built. Furthermore, when you know your times tables — as you can likely attest — you use them regularly in day-to-day life.
Thank you for reading this article, and thank you for making the world a better place through education. ❤️
Sincerely,
Matt Garvin
App Creator
Related Resources
What Is Math ‘Fact Fluency,’ and How Does It Develop?
by Stephen Sawchuk from edweek.org ( website )
How to Build Automaticity with Math Facts: A Practical Guide (Ep 36)
by Anna Stokke of “Chalk & Talk” ( Spotify.com ) ( podcast )
Ontario Math curriculum for Grades 1–8
( see “Number facts” ) ( website )
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