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Math Makers

Math Makers

Mathematics

Math Makers: Empowering kids to learn math through play!
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Last updated: March 25, 2025

Overview

Learning objectives

Math Makers is a game based learning math app that builds conceptual understanding for the most critical primary school subjects, by combining visual math manipulatives and physics-based puzzles.

Evidence of impact

STRONG

Cost structure

SUBSCRIPTION

Widely adopted in 10 countries

16 languages

Target audience: Educators and teachers

Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, Non-formal Education

Full offline functionality

Smartphone, Tablet, Desktop/Laptop, Chromebook

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Math Makers
Math Makers
Math Makers

The information presented is provided by the company, and reviewed in good faith. Learning Cabinet is not responsible for inaccurate content.

How this product was evaluated?

Product Details

Data protection and privacy

Privacy

  • Privacy Policy icon
    Privacy PolicyOpen info in a new page
  • Terms of Service icon
    Terms of ServiceOpen info in a new page
  • Product alerts users of significant changes to the privacy policy icon
    Product alerts users of significant changes to the privacy policy

Data Sharing

  • Product shares data with third parties icon
    Product shares data with third parties
  • Has data sharing agreements with these third parties icon
    Has data sharing agreements with these third parties
  • Product shows external advertisements icon
    Product shows external advertisements

Data Origin

  • Product does not utilize AI icon
    Product does not utilize AI
  • AI has not been trained using product datasets icon
    AI has not been trained using product datasets

Information security

  • No cybersecurity program in place icon
    No cybersecurity program in place
  • Technical best practices in place icon
    Technical best practices in place
  • No threat detection in place icon
    No threat detection in place
  • No self-assessments conducted icon
    No self-assessments conducted
  • No third party assessments conducted icon
    No third party assessments conducted

Safeguards

  • Product allows interactions between users and users can create content icon
    Product allows interactions between users and users can create content
  • Product does not use AI to generate content icon
    Product does not use AI to generate content
Theory

The product uses theories of constructivist learning, particularly Piaget's model, guiding students from intuitive to formal understanding of fractions. This is achieved through progressively complex tasks that emphasize visual representations and manipulatives before introducing symbolic notation. Impact is measured using pre- and post-tests, demonstrating substantial learning gains through gameplay alone and a positive transfer to abstract understanding​.

Strong evidence of impact

Impact 3/3

Math Makers shows a proven positive impact, backed by at least one experimental study that shows a statistically significant positive impact on the intended learning outcomes.

Different levels of research evidence indicate the reliability of the proof of positive impact. The solutions featured in the Learning Cabinet range from:

  • Strong: Backed by at least one experimental study that shows a statistically significant positive impact on the intended outcomes.
  • Moderate: Backed by at least one quasi-experimental study that shows a statistically significant positive impact on the intended outcomes.
  • Promising: Supported by correlational or pilot research that indicates positive or promising results on the intended outcomes.

Evidence
External Evidence
Pre-Post StudyOpen
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Learning Outcomes: Two university studies showed significant improvements (10.5% & 32.6%) on fractions after playing Math Makers. A standard international test (TIMMS) was used and showed that only a few hours of playing were required.

Engagement
Icon representing engagement statistics

Recommended use

Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, Non-formal Education

Frequency: Several times per week Individual or group: Can be used individually or in groups Duration: Each session can vary depending on the child's engagement, average session time is around 30 minutes. Studies suggest a total of 3 hours can lead to significant improvement.

Frequency: Several times per week Individual or group: Can be used individually or in groups Duration: Each session can vary depending on the child's engagement, average session time is around 30 minutes. Studies suggest a total of 3 hours can lead to significant improvement.

Icon representing engagement statistics

Target audience

Students
Limited
reach
54%
User growth rate
10
Countries

Learning Objectives

Math Makers is a game based learning math app that builds conceptual understanding for the most critical primary school subjects, by combining visual math manipulatives and physics-based puzzles.

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Curriculum

  • National curriculum
  • Adaptable to different curriculums

Information about curriculum

Math Makers' curriculum design and approach are rooted in the principles of game-based learning and cognitive conflict. The game focuses on core mathematical concepts, such as fractions, place value, and numeracy, and is designed to address the conceptual gaps that students often encounter. Here are some key aspects of Math Makers' curriculum: Visual Representation: The game uses visual representations to make mathematical concepts more concrete and understandable. For example, fractions are taught using an area model, and multiplication is represented both as repeated additions and using a different area model. Active Learning: Math Makers emphasizes active learning through interactive puzzles and challenges. Students are encouraged to experiment, explore, and discover mathematical relationships on their own. Cognitive Conflict: The game uses cognitive conflict to help students confront and overcome misconceptions. By presenting situations that challenge their existing understanding, students are prompted to rethink and refine their mathematical thinking. Curriculum Alignment: The curriculum is aligned with international math standards, ensuring that students are learning essential mathematical skills. The main curriculum that was followed when designing the game is the Common Core (USA). Most levels in the game specifically target an item from the curriculum.

Pedagogical design

Math Makers’ design is based on Game-Based Learning and Constructivism. Many apps engage kids through games but often make math a barrier, leading to frustration and extrinsic motivation. In contrast, Math Makers integrates math concepts into gameplay, enhancing engagement and improving attitudes toward math. It also promotes Constructivism by allowing students to explore and create their own understanding, fostering a deeper learning experience.

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Additional Details
Flexibility
The product allows learner agency (e.g. it provides flexibility for the learner or teacher to make choices, take actions, or influence their learning outcomes and experiences).
Learner engagement
The product has elements that raises the level of affection in learner (e.g. pedagogically meaningful narrative, characters, etc.).
The product has interactive design where a learner can interact with the content via different actions, like for example solving problems.
Creativity
The product allows content creation
The product includes problem-solving activities
Collaboration
Users can create math levels that we curate and share with everyone in updates

User Experience

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User interface
While we collect quantitative usage data in our app, it often doesn’t explain the reason behind certain behaviors. To better understand UX or UI issues, we frequently conduct playtests, remotely during the summer, and in schools the rest of the year. The school playtests are especially useful to spot usability issues that could impact some users, as we get to see several groups of diverse students in a few hours. We have been doing these playtests continuously for the past 10 years. A recent UX improvement relates to the Creative Mode, where we noticed that students struggled manipulating objects to get them to be precisely where they want. Amongst other small improvements, we introduced a grid on which all objects snap, making it easier for them to be aligned with each other. Subsequent playtests revealed that object placement was much easier. The surprise was that the removed friction also allowed students to create much more complex and mathematical puzzles that they were not able to create in previous versions. Most UX changes are small but have a big impact. Examples of small changes in our latest version: change the default layout of a chain when placed in a level, limiting the allowed angles when rotating an object, allowing kids to perform actions like items deletion the way they were instinctively doing, etc.
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Data-driven product development
We go into playtests with a specific set of design questions we need to validate. These questions tend to focus around new features we’re developing. The content students are playing during the playtest is designed to answer our design questions by just watching them play, without having to intervene at all. We encourage students to speak about issues, but very rarely give them answers as we want to see how and if they figure things out autonomously. When we’re not able to determine the longer term impact of a feature through playtests, we rely on AB tests within the app itself to measure its impact on metrics like retention and engagement. For example, we were able to determine that taking players out of the puzzle experience at a certain frequency to see their progress led to shorter sessions and less levels completed. Over the past years, we performed hundreds of these AB tests in all areas of the app to guide its design. We meet weekly to discuss learned lessons and to design the upcoming AB tests.
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Geographic focus
While the approach was developed based on the Common Core curriculum (USA), we also looked at other curriculums to design an approach that could impact most of them. Our app is being used worldwide - while the majority of our users are in Canada / USA, Japan and China are also in our top performing 5 countries, which shows the versatility of the approach.
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Ensuring content quality
Expert Review: Content is reviewed by subject matter experts.
Educational Standards Alignment: Content aligns with educational standards.
User Feedback Incorporation: Regular updates are informed by user feedback.
Evidence-Based Content: Content creation is based on current educational research.
Quality Assurance Processes: Implementation of rigorous quality control measures.
Editorial Oversight: Editorial teams oversee content development and accuracy.

Infrastructure

  • Device compatibility
    Smartphone, Tablet, Desktop/Laptop, Chromebook
  • Designed for low-cost devices
    Yes
  • Environment
    Web-Based (Accessible via a web browser without requiring installation on a device), Device Installable (Requires installation on a device to be used, i.e. a mobile or desktop app)
  • Offline availability
    Full offline functionality
  • Integration with 3rd party
    Education/Learning Data tools, Single Sign-On or other secure login tools, User data/metrics platforms, LMS platforms

Support

  • Training materials
    User manuals
  • Training material languages
    EnglishFrench,
  • Training material target users
    Educators and teachers
  • Technical support

    Image for Technical support 1
    Email Support

    Image for Technical support 3
    Phone Support / Online Meetings

Local Adaptability

  • Curriculum / educational content can be customized
    Yes
  • Visual / audiovisual content can be customized
    No
  • Content can be customized
    Yes
  • Current languages
    Chinese Traditional, Danish, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
  • Possibility to translate the product to new language
    Yes
  • Current writing systems
    Indic Scripts
  • Licensing information
    • The solution is proprietary

Data import/export

  • Export data capability
  • Exportable data types
  • Import data capability
  • Automation
Affordability

Affordability Card

Business model icon
Business model
  • Business to Consumer (B2C)
  • Business to Government (B2Gov)
Pricing model icon
Pricing model
  • Subscription
Pricing tiers icon
Pricing tiers
  • Per student
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Starting price

4 USD/year

  • Flexible pricing available
Ask for details
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Pricing Strategy

We aim to sustain our operations and the cost of creating high quality content by generating revenue from yearly and monthly subscriptions sales to parents. Since the subscription is hard to afford for less fortunate families, we also provide the app for free to teachers. We also work with libraries in the Quebec province to distribute an online version of the app to anyone with a library card, for a low cost distribution license fee billed directly to libraries. Finally, we’ve partnered with several associations in the past to provide our app in low income countries. Our apps were included in tablets reaching up to 100,000 children through the Breteau Foundation in the past 10 years. We are also starting a partnership with Teach the World, and the aim is to scale from a few thousands to eventually reach 100,000 in Pakistan in the next two years. Working with UNICEF for this initiative would increase our odds of success drastically.

Adjustable Pricing Options

We are constantly AB testing various price points per country. The goal is to find affordable prices that lead to increased adoption worldwide, as the economical situation is different for every region and goes beyond simple currency exchange rates.

Organisation and Operations

Organization Details

Developed in
Canada
Type of organization
Business enterprise
Stage of organization
Growth Phase
(since 2011)
Number of employees
5-10
Developed in
Canada
Type of organization
Business enterprise
Stage of organization
Growth Phase
(since 2011)
Number of employees
5-10
Developed in
Canada
Type of organization
Business enterprise
Stage of organization
Growth Phase
(since 2011)
Number of employees
5-10
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Experience with large projects

  • Open link iconLocal government projects
  • Open link iconPartnership models with national institutions
Case Study Link
Open link icon

Large implementation example

Our company has existed in the educational space for over 12 years, has successfully reached hundreds of thousands through its educational apps, and is well positioned / connected to introduce an impactful new educational approach. The team was relatively small (3 people) up until 2019. We then received around 3m USD in funding from several sources to expand our educational approach to multiple subjects with Math Makers. Our current team of 6 people is now focused on growth and increasing adoption. We think the current product can have a big impact worldwide, especially in low income countries. Previous collaborations reached 100,000 students this way, but everything is now in place to scale this much further.

Accessibility of Design

Success iconMath Makers does not fulfil the WCAG 2.1 level AA requirements

Equity of access & Gender

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Product usage between genders
Stress-Free Environment: we noticed in our playtests that games involving limited time challenges can stress some students, especially girls, preventing them from learning from their experience. All our content therefore can be completed one step at a time, without requiring any time sensitive actions.

Get in touch with the organization

Contact Person picture
Francois Boucher-Genesse
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Expert Review of Math Makers

Evaluated using the Learning Cabinet’s rigorous EdTech for Good Framework to ensure safety, learning impact, scalability, and inclusion for all learners.

EdTech for Good Framework

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Math Makers

Mathematics

Math Makers: Empowering kids to learn math through play!

Math Makers Logo
Grade
Early Childhood Education
Usage

Limited reach

Evidence of impact
Active EvidenceActive EvidenceActive Evidence
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