Fashion Math Pro

When my daughter found out that an expectation of being in the 4th grade was that she would have to memorize her multiplication tables, she said to me, “But mom, I don’t know how to memorize!” I explained to her that all of her learning up to this point has required some form of memorization, just never quite in this way. “Once you learn them, you will never forget,” I told her. I, too memorized my multiplication tables in the 4th grade and you know what? I still remember them as clear as day. Looking for something to boost her confidence, I ran for my iPod.

My daughter likes dress-up games, so I was immediately intrigued by the Fashion Math Pro app, by Jon Hoffman. As I learned my “times tables” with flashcards, I liked the flashcard-like style of this math app. You can personalize the preferences for your child by choosing the type of equation (addition, subtraction, multiplication or division) as well as choosing what numbers you would like included in the equations (1 through 99). As my daughter is working on multiplying numbers up to 12, I am able to customize it for her needs.

How it works:

In each round, your child will be given math problems to solve and will earn credits for each answer they get right. They can then use these credits to purchase clothing and accessories from the virtual store, which keeps them motivated. The thing I like the best about this game is that when your child gets a problem right, they hear clapping and cheering or a magic wand type of sound. When they get an answer wrong, they hear one of several silly sound effects, like a buzzer or the sound of breaking glass (but nothing too terrible).

I have found Fashion Math Pro to be a very effective learning tool. When my daughter first started playing, she was getting less than half correct in each round. Now she is getting nearly all correct, up to the number 6. When she has mastered that, I will increase the numbers to 7,8,9, etc. The trickier the problem, the more credits she earns. The faster she solves the equation, the more points she earns as well.

My daughter says, “It is educational because you are learning your math facts. Plus you can earn credits for stuff, so it’s fun, too. The clothes and accessories are cute, so it’s a really good game.” All in all, I am very pleased with Fashion Math Pro and my daughter is too, giving it a two-thumbs up.