Symmetry School: Learning Geometry

$2.99, iPad

Teaches: math, spatial relations, symmetry, patterns

CTR Rating: 80%

CTR Review

Turn your iPad into a self-correcting symmetry puzzle, with this bite sized app that should be of interest to math teachers. Symmetry School is part of the Spraoi School, a series of educational apps from Ireland designed to support CCSS (Common Core State Standards) math education. Each app purchased provides access to a supporting Whiteboard version for teachers, and offers supplemental print activities available to download and print out. There's also an 'Email Your Result' feature that could be used for homework. This app covers two types of symmetry: reflective (complete the missing half of a pattern); and rotational symmetry (predict and describe the results of rotating patterns, recognize simple spatial patterns and relationships and make predictions about them). Each type of symmetry offers three difficulty levels: easy, medium and hard. Language options include English, French, German, Irish, Chinese and Spanish. We liked how the pieces clearly display color and shape attributes. Need to know: there's not much content given the price, compared with other math-related apps, and the puzzle pieces are small, making them hard to pick up when they are in a pile. Also, this app uses a more abstract "tap to rotate" method of turning the pieces. It would be better if the shapes had "handles" that let you more directly manipulate the rotation process. The reinforcements have little to do with the concepts. This app could be very useful for classroom use, displayed on a large screen.