Common Sense Media Review
By Erin Wilkey Oh
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Tough memory exercises require self-motivation.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
N-back Suite
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
In this set of mental exercises, players see or hear a sequence of stimuli and attempt to remember the nth back in the series. Players can choose to practice with colors, images, 3x3 squares, letters, and sounds. For example, if players set the n-back to four and colors, they must remember the color they saw four times before the current color. If it is the same as the one they currently see, they tap the screen. Players can also choose to follow one sequence or two at once (called double n-back). Times and scores are recorded in the app.
Is It Any Good?
Most of the n-back apps we've found aren't designed with engagement in mind, making them pretty dry. N-BACK SUITE is no exception. Though researchers and psychologists feel that n-back tasks are good exercises for our working memory, expert opinions are unlikely to motivate a 10-year-old. N-back apps seem to be designed more for adults, who are self-motivated to keep their mental facilities sharp.
To its credit, N-back Suite offers more customization than similar apps, which makes it accessible to kids -- at least at the easiest levels. And when players answer incorrectly, their scores lower but the round continues, making gameplay last a bit longer than in other versions we've seen. Data recording for each variation of the task lets players compare their performance using the different stimuli, which can give them some insight into their mental strengths and weaknesses.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Some researchers say n-back tasks can help kids improve working memory. Challenge your kids to play a few minutes each day and keep track of their progress.
Help your kids identify strengths and weaknesses as they play. Knowledge of their mental processing strengths can be a starting point for developing learning strategies.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Skills : Self-Direction : identifying strengths and weaknesses , self-assessment , Thinking & Reasoning : memorization
- Pricing structure :
- Release date : May 18, 2012
- Genre : Health & Fitness
- Publisher : FingerFriendlySoft
- Version : 3.00
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 4.2 or later
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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