App of the Week | Dexteria Dots 2

I've long been a fan of Dexteria apps and I'm happy to report that Binary Labs, the creators of the Dexteria family of apps, has done it again!

Dexteria Dots 2, which builds on the skills taught in the original Dexteria Dots, is an app designed to teach young children basic math concepts. While this is a math app, as an occupational therapist, I like that it also encourages development of visual motor skills. As you can see from the screenshot below, this app is played by slicing, tapping, and dragging the dots.

How to play:

In the first game, the goal is to slice, tap and drag the dots to make two equal dots. Here's an example:

In the second game, the player must compare the dots to determine which was is greater. Again the dots can be sliced and dragged to help figure out the answer or it can be done visually without moving any of the dots. It all depends on the child's ability to estimate.

In the example below, these are dots in the expert level. Since this might be challenging for some to visually tell which dot is larger, I sliced each dot to the smallest sizes. Now I can count the dots and tell that the one on the left is larger than the one on the right. This is also a good way to teach students to check their work.

Another cool thing about this app is that each dot has four attributes: the number itself, dots, color, and size. As you progress through the levels, there are fewer attributes. So in the beginner level, you have all four attributes to visually assist, but by the time you get to the advanced level, size is the only attribute available. These attributes and the ability to choose the level (and thereby choose the number of attributes) is great for visual learners. The decreasing attributes as you progress through the game is also great for further challenging and developing executive function skills.

Let me show you a few examples:

Beginner Level

Intermediate Level

Advanced Level

Expert Level

Not only is this working on math skills, while sneaking in some visual motor skill practice, this game is also challenging students to use their executive function skills! While some kids may be tempted to just slice and drag the dots without much of a plan, to really master this game, kids need to plan ahead, problem solve, and then execute the solution. Yay for executive functions for making that all possible!

 Are you a fan of Dexteria apps? Which one is your favorite? I have to say, as an occupational therapist, Dexteria Junior is the one I use the most!

App Information:

Name of App: Dexteria Dots 2
Publisher: Binary Labs
Compatible with: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch; optimized for iPhone 5; requires iOS 6.0 or later.
Price: $2.99



*Disclosure: I was provided with a free promo code for this app, however, all writing and opinions are my own. Information was correct at the time of publication, but is subject to change, so please confirm prior to downloading. This post contains affiliate links.