Ranking and Evaluating Math Apps and Websites for Young Children

By: Angela Dalessio, EC-SEAT scholar and dual major in Early Childhood Special Education and Special Education K-12

This is a chart that I was asked to develop during the required January Term online math class that I finished this past January.  We were asked to come up with criteria and then a way to rank the criteria for a website or an app. 

We all know how it is important to have a reason or purpose for teaching something, but after using the criteria tool, I came to a new understanding about how important it is for me to take time out and actually rank these different apps to see what could and should be used in my classroom.  I think the ones that I chose would be fine to use, but maybe I could search more for apps or websites that would help my students with disabilities as well. 

My criteria to evaluate tool may only be useful for me when evaluating websites and apps, because I think that everyone looks for different criteria that they find are important to them.  I also think that this tool is unique to my needs for my students, but again it would be interesting to see what others would have decided to use to evaluate the websites and apps that they might choose. 

Ranking of app or website:

High quality: Is a yes to all of the criteria mentioned or meets it, low cost or free. 

Low quality: does not have a yes to all criteria, or does not have what is listed, might have some, but not all.

Targeted Age	Develop-mentally appropriate	Ease of Use	Student Tracking	Different Levels of Difficulty	Cost	Interactive	Quality
Amazing Coin (app)
Preschool	Yes-may be advanced for some preschoolers.	Moderate - some direction might be needed	No	Yes	Free- upgrade for a cost	Yes	Low, (Really middle of the road)
Interactive Telling Time Lite (app)
Does not really say, but I think 1st grade	Yes, for 1st grade	Pretty easy - parents can change settings	Yes	Yes	Free- upgrade for a cost	Yes	High
Coolmath.com (website)
Ages 3-12	Yes	Fairly easy	No	Yes	Free	Yes, but no audio	Low (Really middle of the road)
Splash Math (app)
K-5	Yes	Fairly easy	Yes	Yes	Free	Yes	High

One last thought, is that there are definitely things that I would have changed about my criteria and ranking system.  Some changes that I would have made are having three levels of ranking, because with having only two, it is very black and white, but there are definitely shades of gray that we need to consider.  Some websites or apps do not clearly fit into one category.  Having a third category could help the ranking system and maybe change the way we looked at the apps or websites.  Ultimately, in the end all that matters is that the app or website chosen is developmentally appropriate and fits the needs of the students in my classroom.