Bottom Line: 5th Grade Math Common Core by Math Galaxy is a comprehensive review and practice app covering all of the basics of common core math for the grade level. This easy to navigate app offers kids a great way to get that extra little bit of help that they might need to solidify their understanding of basic math concepts. This app is just one of many grade levels available from this developer. I happen to have a fifth grader, so I was pretty stoked to be giving this app a whirl.
If you’d like to purchase 5th Grade Math Common Core by Math Galaxy ($3.99), please use the handy link provided.
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No ads, no in-app purchases, no external links
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For those of you parents out there with younger kids, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Fifth grade is the year when math gets REAL. At least for my fifth grader (and for me) it has been. Prior to this year, I haven’t had any difficulty helping him with his math homework and being able to teach him certain concepts in a way that he can easily understand. I don’t know if the math that changed this year, or perhaps it’s the fact that I have a child on the edge of the teenage years, but we seem to have reached a point that (despite the fact that I understand every bit of his math lessons) I seem to be unable to help like I used to. So when I was offered a chance to review 5th Grade Math Common Core I was hoping it would give us a resource to fill the void.
I was certainly not disappointed. We have been able to find each and every math concept that we have been presented with this year outlined neatly within this app. Each concept has a review button that can be chosen to see a brief overview of the idea being covered, not to teach the premise but to emphasize the things already being taught in the classroom. Students can then take the next step and work practice problems and answer practice questions to implement the concepts that they just reviewed. With each correct answer, kids can earn points that can be used later on to play games.
The basic concepts covered are:
- Numbers in Base 10
- Fractions
- Measurement & Data
- Geometry
- Algebra
Within each section, the concept can be broken down into smaller bits that make things easier to grasp. Lately we’ve been inundated with fractions at our house, and it has been nice to have an option to turn to for help when my son and I just haven’t been able to connect. After a little bit of review, and then some great practice problems, all of the sudden multiplying fractions just really seemed to click. I’ve discovered that he has been going back and using the app independent of me and my review capacity, which is how I know that it is effective.
What I liked:
- Incredibly comprehensive – there’s nothing that we’ve been covering in math at school that isn’t in this app.
- Lots of content – the exercises seem endless, so kids can get as much practice as they need.
- Simple-to-use interface
What I liked less:
- I do have to admit that I found the app a little bit boring visually. I know that doesn’t affect the function of the app, but it does make it a little less engaging.
- I felt like the games were a bit simplistic, in an 80’s video game kind of way.
Overall, though, the strengths of this app far outweigh the weaknesses. I’m giving it 4.5 Stars, making it our newest Top Pick!
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Kelli would like to thank whoever invented marshmallow creme. Smart Apps for Kids was paid a fee to review this app.
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