Cotter AL Abacus

I downloaded this app so that two of my children could do their Right Start math lessons at the same time and so far it has worked perfectly. I have a new iPad and the app works beautifully with no delays or issues.

I wouldn't complain if it was free. But I spent $2 on it and I'm going to have to just buy a physical abacus. I thought the app would get us through the rest of the week until I could search for the lost abacus this weekend. This is terrible, it takes for! Ever! For it to recognize your finger, so doing a whole math lesson takes impossibly long. We spent two days doing a lesson that should have taken half a lesson time. So much wasted time. I should have just pulled out some counting beans or Legos or something instead.

I looked for this app specifically because I had read about it in conjunction with the Right Start math curriculum. My daughter loved it, and subtraction homework that was about to send her on a complete emotional breakdown was suddenly easy. The fact that the first 5 beads in a row are colored differently from the second 5 beads was very helpful for her. She immediately stopped counting her fingers and could SEE that, for example, 7 beads was the same a 5 and 2. My only problem with the app is that my daughter had trouble touching the beads in just the right spot to move them. I ended up moving them for her. I probably should try using it on my iPad instead of my iPhone. I have actually ordered a real Abacus from Right Start Math so that she can physically touch the beads, but will continue to use the app if we are working on homework away from home.