NumberShire is a math game designed to teach fundamental math concepts to learners in kindergarten through second grade. It is especially useful for kids predisposed to learning difficulties with mathematics as it uses a less direct approach that includes characters, mini-games, and rewards built around a fictional Renaissance-style kingdom. NumberShire is the first product developed out of the alliance between the Center on Teaching and Learning (CTL), the University of Oregon’s Research Center for Education, and the video game developers at Thought Cycle.

Website: https://www.numbershire.com/

What Users Love About the App

“I am a homeschooling mom and we’ve used a large range of curriculum and online learning tools. Numbershire is a big hit! An excellent balance of fun and learning, math skills are introduced incrementally, and the adventure continues each time they play. Each of my 3 youngest, aged 4-8 has an account and they all love it.”

“This game is really impressive. Lots of characters, stories and adventures mixed in with instructional math content. It actually teaches math with a tutoring system. All the lessons work towards objectives in the village, so kids stay motivated to learn.”

“My son always wants to play this game. It it challenging for him and he likes the characters. He especially enjoys the “prizes”. I like that the background music is mellow and I know he is playing a game that is helping him to learn math.”

“My daughter loves this game. I played some of it with her and found the stories are pretty entertaining. The math lessons are comprehensive and well done. There are even cool minigames like a music box tone maker and marbles. They put a lot into this game. Definitely worth checking out.”

“Great program! My daughter loves the characters, adventures and ‘pets.’ I like the progressive lessons and practice, as well as the focus on community and helpfulness.”

What Users Dislike About the App

“My children attempted to answer the questions correctly but because of the design, they had to wait for their answers to be recognized until the long droning narrator finished his monologue. It was so frustrating that both my children closed the app. There is no option to skip levels should the child want to find more challenging problems to solve.”

“Can’t get the sound to work.”