New ModMath App - Very Impressive!

Posted by Allan Wilson on the 16th December, 2015

The ModMath iPad app was developed by the parents of a child with dyslexia and dysgraphia to allow him to lay out mathematical problems neatly and legibly. Since it was first released around two years ago ModMath has acquired a reputation as a nice, easy to use app for laying out arithmetic on an iPad. It is particularly useful for learners with dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia, many of whom often have difficulty with laying their work out neatly. Version 2.0 has just been released and is a real game-changer!

In addition to the facilities for laying out basic arithmetic problems, with space for 'showing the working', carries, etc. in the original app, Version 2.0 has been greatly expanded to allow a wide range of algebraic functions used in secondary schools. Most of this is controlled from a simple numeric keypad, in which some keys have a small white dot, allowing access to additional contextual features. Further mathematical symbols can be accessed by tapping on the arrow at the top left of the keypad.

Pupils who have difficulty with numbers can use the app to copy problems, go through the various stages necessary to solve it, and email their response to the teacher as a PDF, or save it to DropBox. (It would be nice if the teacher could create questions in ModMath and distribute them to pupils, but this doesn't seem to be possible.)

A much broader range of colour schemes compared with the original version is now available.

Just a couple of minor gripes:

• it would be nice to have the option to use '£' and '€' signs, in addition to the '$', for currency
• the facility for having alternate columns with a shaded background that was included in the original version seems to be have been removed - a pity as this was helpful for adding numbers in a column of figures.
• not so much a gripe, as a wish - it would be great if a text-to-speech facility could be added!

I'd also like an online facility for donating to the parents who developed the app. It is amazing that this app is FREE to use, and without any advertising. They will be charging a small fee for future additions to the app, but I'd like to be able to show appreciation of their hard work and generosity. It is hard to do this if the only option is to send a cheque through the post!

I'll be looking at ModMath in more detail (along with Panther Math Paper) in a free CALL webinar on Making Maths Accessible on the iPad on Wednesday January 27th 2016.