Open Access Kent State (OAKS)

Tablets such as iPad, Android, and Windows devices have become ubiquitous in both the home and school settings. Adults and kids of all ages are using these tools and the associated apps to do everything from education to entertainment. Although there has been a positive relationship in the research between mathematics education and technology, very little has been done with apps for math, particularly as it relates to preschool children. The purpose of this experimental study was to examine one app that was selected for its attention to both pedagogy and standards. Results suggest integration of the app over a three-week period was found to be a statistically significant and meaningful predictor of mathematics achievement. These outcomes suggest more broadly that well-designed math apps can be successfully used to support preschool math development. The paper concludes with a call to action for understanding the conditions by which math apps improve teaching and learning.