Teaching babies maths on an iPad – Mathletics targets 6 month olds

The company behind Mathletics today announced a new app for kids – and we’re not talking seven year olds, we’re talking babies – aged six months to two years.

Mathletics is a huge Aussie tech story, reaching the majority of schools, and millions of children the concept is to use a computer program (web based) to have kids undertake maths exercises in class or at home.

So what is Mathletics Baby – Shapes?  It’s an app targeting the youngest in the family, the ones who are often handed an iPad or iPhone.  Why not hand them an app that is teaching them something?

CEO of 3P learning the company behind it told me there was a real issue with Maths anxiety in kids, Mathletics Baby would help begin to remove that anxiety.

The app is very simple, playing with circles, squares and triangles which to anyone older than two will be boring and repetitive.

However, if you want to get more deeply integrated into the process for kids – you can record the voices used in the app.

Mum and Dad can voice the words like Square, Circle, so the kids are hearing you within the app.

It’s a bloody fantastic idea, and it will attract a lot of criticism from the non digital households – only time will tell if there is measurable differences in educational outcomes, but for those who’s kids are accessing the devices in the home – wouldn’t you prefer what they were doing had some educational potential?

iTunes/iOS: App Store – $2.99