Splash Math - Comprehensive 3rd grade math workbook Review

Splash Math - Comprehensive 3rd grade math workbook is a very nice interactive math app which re-enforces the math lessons typically taught to 3rd graders in the U.S. Parents have the option of being emailed their children’s progress through these questions if they choose.

This app is pleasant to look at with a nice aquatic theme and a lovely view of blue sea and ocean bottom used as the backdrop for these math questions. A friendly origami crab congratulates players after each correct question answered. Kids will enjoy answering math questions in this interactive fashion, many times choosing answers at the bottom of the screen, as well as dragging and dropping shapes, popping balloons, or moving the hands of a clock in the “Time” section, my personal favorite.

There are 16 chapters to choose from, with subjects like addition, fractions, and decimals. A parent decides which of these subjects are added to the Play mode, which will quiz the player on the knowledge of these math concepts. At first, only the easy questions will be available, but medium and hard questions will be unlocked through the app as well. I appreciate the varied questions offered and that the parent has options about how broad or narrow the focus of this play section is.

Maybe times have changed, but I was a bit surprised to see topics such as geometry or data and probability included as I remember that these were subjects for older kids, but parents can easily pick and choose which subjects are right for their students. Kids earn points from correct answers they can later redeem in their personal aquarium. I do wish that when a question is wrongly answered, the player could have a chance to try again instead of continuing to the next question.

After gaining some points from correct answers one can visit the aquarium, but I am a little confused here as to how to use these points. One does not use these credits to decorate the aquarium but to interact with the two crabs who live in the aquarium. Points can be used to see them dance to music, as well as hiting one with an anvil - something I was not able to figure out how to do. Later in the app one can obtain other fish as well, and points can be used to buy angel fish food once an angel fish becomes part of the aquarium. I wish that one could use the points to beautify the aquarium, enabling one to look back with pride at accomplishments turned into tangible objects decorating the space instead of spending credits on momentary interactions that should, in my opinion, simply be part of the aquarium experience keeping this math game light and fun.

My favorite part of this app is the Practice Mode where the players themselves can choose subjects to study, and it is really nice that these subjects are broken down into specific areas of interest, focusing on a specific skill such as “properties of addition” and later working up to “four digit addition” as well as a section on “mixed review” questions. In Practice Mode, the player gets to try again if he answers a question wrong, but it would be nice if info were given to explain why one answer is correct over another.

This app is very educational and has a vast amount of content. It would be a nice app for those studying 3rd grade math. I also think it would be an excellent app used over summer break for those who have completed 3rd grade, as students typically lose more than 2 months of knowledge over this extended holiday. This app could also be used over the summer by kids entering the 3rd grade, possibly giving them a chance to practice the lessons they will learn in the coming school year. Parents of other grade school students, do keep these developers in mind as they will be adding grades 1 - 5 apps in the future. I would make these apps available to my son when the time is right for him in the years to come, but I do this app is on the pricey side.