Common Sense Media Review
By Christy Matte
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Completing solid math drills leads to frustrating game.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Math Ace 3rd Grade
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
MATH ACE 3RD GRADE is a math drills app paired with a flying game. The math content covers multiplying with 0-12, dividing up to 10, addition within 100, recognizing fractions, subtraction within 100, and shapes. These are broken out into bite-size pieces for kids to master. Math problems appear on-screen and kids enter in their answer. The drills are timed, so kids can answer as many questions as possible before the timer runs out. If kids take more time on a particular problem or get it wrong, the app will drill them more frequently on that fact until they get it right. Parents can set practice reminders on the device.
Once they complete drills, kids can start the flying mission. This involves navigating the fox through a series of obstacles in the sky (clouds, airplanes, storm clouds, etc.) by touching the screen to move the character back and forth. If they hit an obstacle, their character explodes in a ball of fire. As kids complete more drills, they can purchase upgrades to their jet pack to allow them to fly further.
Is It Any Good?
This app provides solid math drills, but the lack of editing and a potentially frustrating "reward" game make it less appealing. The screen in Math Ace 3rd Grade is uncluttered and allows kids to simply focus on finding the right answers, and the timer is unobtrusive. Kids who want to push themselves to earn better scores and more upgrades can do so, while kids who are moving a bit more slowly can simply ignore the countdown. Some kids may be frustrated by the fact that they can't edit their answers before entering them, especially if typing is difficult for them. There's some annoying music playing in the background, but it can easily be muted. Unfortunately, the game portion -- which ideally would be combined with the math itself -- is potentially frustrating. From the very first moment, the sky is littered with obstacles, and it's not at all easy to avoid them using your finger to drift the jet pack back and forth. While some kids will enjoy it, some will be completely turned off by the mechanics and the difficulty. So while it's a good choice for just drilling math facts, the game element is disconnected and disappointing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about math and different ways to learn it. Math drills, like the ones in Math Ace 3rd Grade are one way. Do those work for you? What other ways are there?
Families can talk about learning with apps. Do you think this is a good app for learning? Why, or why not? What can you learn?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Subjects : Math : arithmetic , fractions , multiplication
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : memorization
- Pricing structure : Free to try ($19.99/quarter)
- Release date : July 14, 2018
- Genre : Education
- Topics : Adventures
- Publisher : Stash Technologies LLC
- Version : 2.0.3a
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 9.2 or later
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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