Bottom line: I wish I had this app when I was in school. And since it’s not a “bells and whistles” app, that statement means a lot coming from this reviewer. Jungle Geometry is like a calm tutor that never tires of going over the lessons and applauds progress.
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Geometry can be daunting to students, but Jungle Geometry by developer Andrew Short takes the sting out of the experience with a gentle jungle theme and soundtrack, all of which can be customized. There are six animals to choose from (lion, tiger, elephant, hippo, panda and monkey) that hang out waiting to show their approval for answers. Not only can users choose animals, but they can also get rid of them or customize all sounds, like background, drawing, narration and congratulations.
Upon opening Jungle Geometry, users are started at the first of three levels: line measurement. Children and parents can get a good feel for how the app works right away since it’s very straightforward and doesn’t require a tutorial or help section to use. A line is drawn and users are asked the length. A ruler is provided that can be angled in any direction to measure appropriately. A choice wheel is given where users find the correct measurement, click “done” and are told whether they are correct and can move to the next question.
The presentation is attractive and the questions are clear, but the really great part of this app is the settings section. Jungle Geometry does not force users to work in a straight line of learning in order to progress, and the user has the ability to focus on whatever sections he or she wants. The upper left-hand corner holds a menu where the best attributes of this app can be found. Several user names can be added, and each has statistics measuring correct and incorrect answers with the percentages given. There are three levels of play that start with whole unit measurements, basic shapes and basic angle types. The levels progress up to fractional measurements, shapes up to ten sides and all angle types. Play settings allow for continuous play, choice of positive reinforcement after five correct answers in a row, and whether or not students are allowed to skip questions. There are even more settings in choice of styles for the ruler and protractor and whether units are in inches or centimeters.
Then there is the nitty-gritty of the app: the actual geometry lessons. Users can click “learn” and be taken to a section to choose from line types, line pairs, shapes, angle types, angle pairs, and tools. Each of those has subsections where each choice is defined and illustrated. For example, in angle types, choosing “obtuse” shows an obtuse angle with the definition of “greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees.” The learning section is like having an entire school year's worth of notes at your fingertips. Each of the geometry sections listed above can be chosen for questions, so by choosing “line measurement” and level one, users find themselves back to where the app opened initially.
Jungle Geometry has done a fabulous job simplifying a subject that can be very confusing to kids and some adults (like me) and also gives enough custom options to keep it as child-friendly or more mature as desired. In fact, my second-grader took my iPad and learned about line types while I was reviewing. This is a solid app that stays on task and does it engagingly.
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The last time someone referred to Cynthia as obtuse, they weren't talking about angles. SmartAppsForKids.com was paid a priority review fee to complete this review in an expedited manner.
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