I was wondering if there were any good computer games to help my nine-year-old daughter in math. She has been diagnosed with dyslexia and although she is almost at grade level in reading, she is unable to remember and understand math concepts. If you know of any games we could get for the summer, please let me know.
There are a lot of free, online math games and apps available today. The challenge is to select the ones that best meet the needs of your daughter. . A great place to start is to read Learning Mathematics with Virtual Manipulatives(opens in a new window), which provides background information and the research on virtual math manipulatives. One of the best online resources is the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives for Interactive Mathematics(opens in a new window), a free online library of web-based interactive virtual manipulatives is a great resource. You can also search for age appropriate math software products and resources on the TechMatrix(opens in a new window), a free, online database which can help you match up your daughter with appropriate technology educational and assistive tools.
There are also a plethora of apps for iPhones, iPads, or Android that can help your daughter master math concepts. You can choose a traditional skill-and-drill app such as Math Flash Cards*(opens in a new window) (Free) or Quick Math-Arithmetic & Times Tables(opens in a new window) ($1.99). Apps that present math concepts through a game are a powerful way to engage a student. Math Vs. Zombies(opens in a new window) is a popular app that requires students to answer questions correctly to keep the zombies at bay. Another favorite is Operation Math(opens in a new window) ($3.99), which turns a student into a secret spy to carry out different operations using math. All are great way to use technology to enhance learning for your daughter and have some fun learning math!