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Fides C.
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| What I liked |
I love this app! It is very comprehensive. It begins by teaching kids how to identify different types of coins and at the very end, teaches them how to make change. The lessons are engaging and well illustrated. I love how you can touch the coin and it flips over so that you can see the other side of it. I love how it also shows how to use a number chart and a number line to count coins. The tests are fun and helps the child to grasp the concepts taught in each lesson even better. As always, I love the reports where you can keep track of how the child is doing. Kids earn coins to win prizes. The prizes are accessories you can put on the monkey. My kids thought this was fun.
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| Suggestions |
I found a couple of bugs: (1) When taking the test for Lesson 2, Value of Coins, it asks the child what the value of a quarter is. This question should be taken out because the value of the quarter has not been taught yet and will not be taught until lesson 4, Quarter and Half Dollar. (2) During the test on Lesson 5, a picture of a dollar bill is shown an four answers showing values in cents (i.e, 10c, 50c, 100c). An incorrect answer to the question "What is the value of a dollar bill?" generates the auditory response, "The value of a dollar bill is one dollar" while showing the visual response "The value of a dollar bill is 100 cents." The auditory response is correct. (3)Not sure if this is a bug, but I found the monkey sound effects "oh-oh, woohoo, etc." a lot louder in volume than the rest of the app's audio. In fact, it was too loud.
Wish list:
--I would like to the kids to be able to manipulate money more, not just when taking a test. My idea is to have a "free play" area so that the parent or teacher can provide added lessons on their own. The free play area should have an option of one money tray or two money trays facing each other. With two money trays, the student can play a shopping game with the teacher or another student. Kids love to play store and I believe it is one the most effective ways to teach them about money. Perhaps the teacher can also have the option to set how many dollars and coins are available in each tray.
--I would like the kids to have access to a pad (like in the Splash Math apps) when taking a test, specially when they are asked to count money or make change.
The kids were also asking about monkey clothing. They loved dressing up the monkey, but was asking where the tops and bottoms were. :-)
--The lessons show how to use a number chart and number line to count coins, but does not have the child practice this at all. Perhaps it can be included in the test?
--I would like for this to be a multi-user app. I have 3 kids than can really benefit with this app, but can only have one user at a time. Please consider making this and other apps multi-user.
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| General opinion |
I absolutely love Splash Money! It covers everything a child needs to know about money. I only wish I had this years ago because this is so much better than using real money and I don't have to worry about the kids losing the manipulatives. I would like for more than one child to use this app, but currently there is no option for that. Other than not being accessible to multiple users, I think this app is fantastic and I highly recommend this to parents and teachers. Another good one from StudyPad!!!
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Julie P.
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| What I liked |
People assume it's easy to teach children about money. That's not always true. One of the things I like best about Splash Money is the way it starts at the most basic level (coin ID) and moves through all the modules to the highest one (making change). The developer did a nice job coordinating the script with the visual images of coins and their corresponding values. Kids do best when they can see it and hear it at the same time. I'm glad the app uses photos rather than drawings of the coins.
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| Suggestions |
The basic sequence of the modules is good, but I would suggest the developer consider a couple of suggestions
- Although not as significant for the home market, there should never be a "push notification" request in a school app. I suggest it be removed.
- The opening lesson in Module #1 is wordy. The developer could remove the description of the thickness of each coin; that tiny difference is not significant. Also, I believe the coins' colors are silver and copper, not grey and brown.
- In Modules #2-8, the tests are really long (50 questions). My students got antsy at about question #30. I would like to see a short intermission with a motivational comment and a short animation.
-The developer identifies this app as aligned to the Common Core standards, and I would agree. However, I would like the applicable standard be included in the information section. This assures me that the developer has actually read the standard and knows what it says. Some developers make false claims related to Common Core.
-I was very pleased with Modules 5&6; I thought they were exceptionally well-written. Although Modules 7&8 were also well- written, I thought there was too much content presented in a short segment. My students were getting confused and their scores on the test reflected their lack of mastery. I will have to review the content with them and provide supplemental materials.
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| General opinion |
I think this developer understands the expectations for apps in the school setting. The eight levels of Splash Money are ordered by difficulty, beginning with coin identification, sorting by value, mixed counting, adding and subtracting money, and finally making change. The modules have good pacing and use appropriate examples. Once I showed my 7 year old students how to navigate through the app, they were mostly independent. This app could help revolutionize the way money is taught in schools.
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Marcel W.
| Rating |
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| What I liked |
I like the graphics of the app and although I have few minor issues with the narration, the narrator speak very clearly and makes it very easy to follow and understand. I love the lesson plan that you can take before each of the test. It does a good job in explaining the concept with examples. There are enough varieties of the test that will keep them busy and give the app some depth. The reporting is also great in helping parents keep track of progress. The rewards section will keep kids coming back to earn more rewards to accessories the monkey.
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| Suggestions |
The first time the app launched,the loading time was really slow. It displayed black screen for about 3 seconds before it load the study pad launch screen. Once you're in the home screen, the first thing that caught my eyes were the small icon in the bottom of the screen that keep switching. I thought that the icon would take me to some sort of reward or stickers screen but instead it took me to a screen that show other apps by study pad. Three is no parental control such as press and hold or anything do as a parent I don't like this. The narrator sounds very clear and easy to follow but I thought that she talk too slow. This app also asked me for push notification and I think developer has abused push notification and almost any app that use push notification that doesn't disclose it up front or in the app description will get uninstall automatically and followed by refund request to apple from me. During the actual test, you can tell that the developer are using two separate audio file to construct a sentence for example "can you help me separate the" and "nickel" or "penny" etc. I don't know how many different permutation are there but it might be worth it to use one recording for each of the permutation so te sentence floe better. The test seems very long for me and I think because if this, the developer should make an attempt to push the rewards section at the end of each test so the kid can feel rewarded and do something fun right away. I would like it better if the in game reporting will allow me as a parent to drill down and and see each if the individual problem and answer.
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| General opinion |
Overall this app is a well made app that over plenty of things to do for kids that need to learn money lessons. I love how the app has many different in depth lessons prior to each test. The rewards system is good and will keep the kids busy and coming back for more.
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Heather W.
| Rating |
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| What I liked |
I like the visuals and layout for this app. At first I wanted the coins to be bigger and more scaled to the screen, but then I realized that the coins are actually life sized! Great app!! I like that the narrator speaks nice and slowly, especially for ESL students. The children and the monkey are really nicely drawn and animate well. I love the monkey's responses in the quiz section. I like information that appears with the lightbulb. I love the pace and information in the tutorials, especially the sequential nature of the lessons. Kids will learn a tremendous amount about money with this app.
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| Suggestions |
Please include the other graphics that are on our money, especially the quarter and the updated nickel. You might even do another lesson on this because the different images on the same coin can be very confusing, especially to children from other countries. Please adjust the volume difference between the moderator and the monkey on the quiz screens- I was struggling to hear the narrator and then got blasted by the monkey's response. Please lessen the emphasis on the half dollar - it's not a coin that is in abundant circulation.
Please read the quiz word problems! This would place the emphasis on the question regarding the coins and lessen the burden of understanding the written text of what is being asked. Please include punctuation.
One little typo - On the Money in Dollars tutorial, in the example that combines a dollar with change equaling more than $1, the amount of coins is 110 cents but the lesson claims that it is 105 cents. This was a little confusing.
Maybe put the concept of ordering the coins by value (largest value first) in the Value of Coins section so that in the Counting Coins section kids are not learning to place the coins in value order in addition to adding the various values to find a total.
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| General opinion |
This is a great app! I am very excited to use it with my ESL students. It will be a wonderful addition to my teaching tool bag, both in terms of introducing and practicing and reinforcing the concept of coins. I can't wait to share this app with my colleagues who teach early elementary grades.
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Jim B.
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| What I liked |
* The app has really good coverage of all aspects of money from identifying to using
* Contents are expansive and seem like they could keep the child busy and learning for a long time
* Having the ability to buy prizes with coins earned from tests to dress up the monkey and have the monkey wear those things during the game were great
* Various report views give quick overviews of the child's strengths and weaknesses
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| Suggestions |
* The game is only for a single player - keeping track of multiple players/profiles would be nice for household or classes with multiple kids.
* Doing visual math in the last few activities could be tough for younger kids - probably should bring over the scratch pad from other Spash Math apps here too.
* No second chance for wrong answers - the app shows the correct answer right away.
* On the report, the 'achievements' were broken down to 8 sections corresponding to the eight activities but for 'history', it's hard to figure out which tasks came from which of those 8 sections.
* Top left icon (to skip between lessons and tests), only displayed the question "Are you sure you want to skip..." just once or twice - all other times it just has the Yes/No options.
* Exiting the app (using the iPad's home button) and coming back in some times lock the app (on iOS 5.1.1) - had to kill the app from memory (double click the home button and delete from the task bar)
* Spoken words were shorten for longer questions - would be nice to have the entire word problem spoken out loud.
* The monkey does not have much personality and his speech is annoying - may be because it's louder and higher pitched than the narrator's voice.
* The monkey also needs a few more vocabulary than just 'great', 'woo hoo', and 'no, no'.
* If this app is rated as 4+, it may be too young. I think the player (child) needs to be at least in the first grade (6+) to finish the later activities (which include word problems/addition/subtraction/etc.).
* I did not like the external links (share, rate, more apps, etc.) - apps that are used by kids should not contain them in my opinion.
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| General opinion |
The app is very educational and it's coverage of money is second to none. The navigation and flow of the app could be better - use auto advance instead of showing the navigation menu and requiring the user to press advance every time. Other apps in the same category, though not as complete, are either $1 or $2 so if this latest app is priced like other Splash Math apps ($10 or with in-app purchases), it will be overlooked by most buyers including myself.
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Kelly T.
| Rating |
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| What I liked |
As a teacher, I really liked that the tests seemed to be tailored to the skills displayed. As I missed more and more questions the concept was repeated. As I answered more questions correctly the problems became harder faster. At the end I really liked the progress on the report card as well as the date the test was completed. Easy to tell who is just flying through their work and who is taking their time. The variety of ways in which knowledge is expressed showed a lot of thought: when showing money amounts for $.30 I could choose between 3 dimes, dimes and nickels, or quarters and nickels. The multiple paths really allow for students to show if they truly understand money.
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| Suggestions |
In adding and subtracting $ I found myself attempting to be able to write on the screen when it came to borrowing and carrying over amounts. The need for pencil and paper kind of stinks with such a great app. When answering incorrectly, I would like to hear the monkey say something more than just, "No, no." over and over. Perhaps a larger vocabulary? The voice in the lessons speaks far to slowly. I know it is meant to teach kids, but with such a low cadence it seems dumbed down and could turn off a lot of kids. I could foresee them just skipping ahead to the tests instead of listening to the lessons. As someone who has spent a lot of time learning about the common core standards, I think the claim that this app is common-core aligned is a bit of a stretch. Perhaps the common core standards could be specifically named in the app description (grade level and strand identified). I don't know what the fun rewards were. I only received coins, unless I missed some way to play with the rewards.
As for wishes...as I said the ability to write in the screen to aid in the +/- would really set this app apart, perhaps a toolbox that contains a whiteboard or go old school with a chalkboard. More ways to hear that answers are incorrect. A menu option where users choose items to buy, find the total and then pay with select amounts ($20, $35) or even choose money from inside a virtual wallet including bills and change.
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| General opinion |
Overall, I really like the variety of ways to experience and use money in this app. I can see many students finding ways to be challenged with the activities included. I like the progress reports and the ability to see the dates when the tests were taken. I would like to see the common-core standards named rather than just state it is "common core aligned." This is a great resource for math, which is unusual. It is more than just fluency. It is actual application and you can't beat that.
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Valerie M.
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| What I liked |
All I can say is Wow! We love the depth and scope of this app. It was amazing to test it on adults and kids and find unknown weak areas on adults who struggle with basic money-handling and budgeting. It is a great go-to app to engaged kids learning to manage money at all levels beginning with basic coin ID, clear graphics, and appreciated audio feedback. We love being able to get results emailed and on the spot percentages for observing current progress. I like that it focuses on struggling areas and will get people back to reinforce weak areas. I am glad music and audio can be turned on or off in case they are needed or a distraction. I tested it with a deaf 12 year old who has struggled and school has "written off" on money skills, but over a three day, hour a day play session, we saw her skills and interest improves daily and she actually did not want to quit.
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| Suggestions |
I would like to be able to save user info and select a user from a list of previous players. If its there, I missed it.
Selecting task sometimes is tough as box moves without being selected making access tough for kids with fine motor problems.
Incorporate the word subtract to say "Subtract to find the difference." (to reinforce concept presented)
Would be nice to have request be able to cover coins or in a screen preceding (as an option?) for kids distracted and with attention issues.
Timing to complete tasks in reports.
More clear expectation of what "completes" a round/task/game. (progress bar in addition to %)
Arranging coins would be nice in a row below instead of problems springing back if not dropped right.
Workspace would be nice for who has more money for kids with memory problems and ADHD.
Add more problems on change making with multiple options to solve to promote cashiering skills.
Add an option to have coins or values on touch announced to help when asking "how much money is there to help struggling learners.
Ability to count out loud as learner touches coins &/or errorless learning by only highlighting numbers as specific coins are counted to build confidence.
Offer of hints in word problem toy purchases (to add)
Maybe needing a practice area for more extended practice with different coin combinations in addition to teaching and testing sections or within teaching?
Ability to design own problems to comply with worksheets.
Settings should have an option to be simple password protected.
Would be a nice build up to an app where you can select tasks to earn money to learn how to budget for things you want, both short term and long term.
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| General opinion |
There is a tremendous need for this app, not just for kids, but adults without solid money handling skills. Most of the people I tried this with had some problems understanding overall operations, but were very invested in improving and in practicing skills. The audio and visual feedback are engaging and yet re-teaching in the test (Maybe needing more and varied practice in addition to or within teaching section?) would be beneficial.
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Kerry E.
| Rating |
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| What I liked |
This is a neat concept for those just learning about money and its value. The tutorial for how to use the app is very well done. I like the progression of concepts, and the examples illustrate said concepts very well. The lessons prepare the students well for the tests that they are about to take. The monkey's encouragement is a good motivator for children to get the answers right. The explanations for incorrect answers are great for helping children to understand how to improve the next time around.
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| Suggestions |
The narrator speaks a little too slowly. It seems like it is just really slow going. I understand that some children will need that pace, but my five and a half year old got bored pretty easily. She's interested in the material; I think if it moved a little bit faster, she would have been more engaged. The accent of the narrator is a little different from what we are used to as Americans, but with time we adjusted to it. I would like to see some tests geared toward those who can't quite read yet. My four-year-old is not able to read yet, but I think she could learn about coins and take a test if there was a section devoted to those a little bit younger. She did sit with us and listen to the lessons quite eagerly, so I really think there is a market there for those not yet in kindergarten. In all honesty, I find that a button saying "no, I don't want to receive these awesome reports" is a little annoying. All you have to say on the button is "no, thank you." I'm much more likely to sign up for email updates from an app that does not try to guilt me into doing so. I do like the option to receive email, I just don't like the negative button. The sections in the lesson that told you to touch the coin to see the reverse side were running a little bit slowly. I did have to tap each coin at least a couple of times before it started working. All in all, though, a great app, and I will be working on it with my daughter on a regular basis.
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| General opinion |
What a wonderful app for those learning about money! This is great practice for my five and half-year-old. I highly recommend it to introduce these essential concepts to young children just learning to read or who already know how to read. Having the option to receive periodical updates for how your child is doing via email is great as well.
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Charly J.
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| What I liked |
I enjoyed the visuals of the coins (they resembled the actual denomination). The feedback for the correct answer was great each time. I thought it was great that half dollars were added since we use those for special occasions here. The lessons really helped and I liked that it read it instead of the child needing to read themselves or me to them. Sometimes they want to just 'try' on their own and this app allowed that. The piggy bank coins to do a Monkey Makeover was a HUGE hit! It was nice seeing those values not excessively high as well! The report card was a great feature and having the section to see what my kids worked well on and needed improvement. Simple and easy.
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| Suggestions |
In the feedback portion where my kids would get a correct answer we loved it; however, it became repetitive with the same verbalized saying sometimes two or three times in a row and I would love for that to be switched up more often. Would really like to see more offered in the Monkey Makeover as my kids were wanting to put "clothes" of some sort on their Monkey to further differentiate being silly or boy/girl. The voice sounded very familiar to me and I won't name that app. I do not know if there is a connection between the two developers (or the same one) it fit for the other app and my kids enjoyed it yet they noticed it right off as well and commented. My two kids are young and enjoy the funny voices so while they did not complain they seemed to associate it with the other app; and with that came touching everything to see if some of the other apps "effects" carried over here. Maybe instead of the "no-no" when the child gets it wrong though you could do a "try again" as my son became despondent with this and flustered (he was going really fast and hit the monies ending in a ¢ sign as opposed to beginning with the $ sign). Encouragement to me would work better for that - even if not try again perhaps so close depending on what they select? I'd also like the option since there are several choices to not show them the answer right away but let them try again?
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| General opinion |
I like this app. I like how the graphics for the money is no different than the actual coins or dollars. The report card feature is very nice and easy to use and the Monkey Makeover is a lot of fun. Rewarding the child sooner rather than later while going through the game app is great incentive and making the items they can purchase in the Monkey Makeover not as expensive helps and offers or offered my children a chance to get items right away. Making the amount of money and dragging the amounts seemed to be one of my children's favorite and has them counting every penny or other coin/dollar they see. Having the graphics look just as a real coin or dollar would along with the lessons read to explain the buttons/functions/even information on coins was a nice touch. I found it to be a great learning tool with money as we have struggled with differentiating between silver coins. By far one of my favorite new educational game apps to date.
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Erin K.
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| What I liked |
I liked how the app used a variety of methods to teach each of the skills. I also like how it wasn't just describing each of the coins by color and size but also talked about all the other properties and markings as well. It was very informative and kept my sone engaged. It was also nice to see the report card feature and the information that it contained. I could really see how a teacher or anyone in education would love to see more apps include these break downs.
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| Suggestions |
I thought that the voice on the lessons was a little slow in terms of pace. My son often got a little frustrated and thought that something was wrong in some of the delays for what I assumed were think time. We also noticed that the audio would cut out entirely during the Identify Coins lesson. We had to restart it a couple of times before we got through it with all the audio.
The music was a bit much for me also. Perhaps something a little more soothing would have a better effect on the reading. I'm glad there was a way to shut it off because on loop the music, while interesting, got old for me very quickly.
I would also liked to have seen more variety in the prizes that you can earn in the app. Perhaps you could have different avatars and a few more options for accessories. I might even consider a more achievement based system with badges that could be printed or shared online, might hold a little more motivation to keep earning the prizes. Or even a chance to print your monkey or at least save him as an image onto the iPad.
I also thought that the skill ranges for the app were quite spread out. Perhaps separating skills into several different apps and focusing more on teaching and reinforcing the skills that are covered in each, then I believe it could a really good series of apps.
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| General opinion |
This was a solid app that did a really good job of addressing and teaching about money. The lessons were well-rounded, but a little slow at times for my sons skill level. Also while parts of the app were very engaging for my son as they were things that he could get, there was quite a bit of jump between some of the later lessons that frustrated him. While this is true, there are far more benefits, and I would easily recommend this app to others with young children looking to learn about money.
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