What the research says

Remembering, a little at a time

Trying to remember an answer works better than reading it again, and practice spread over days sticks better than one long session [1, 2]. MathMatrix asks for the answer before showing whether it’s right, and brings each fact back after a pause. Most questions are multiple choice, though, which only partly matches this research.

Understanding and speed

Knowing the facts quickly frees up effort for harder maths [3], but it should rest on understanding and good strategies. A recent review advises adding time limits only once a child answers correctly [4]. An article from Matematikksenteret calls drill of number facts not very productive and says time pressure in tests can cause anxiety [5]. That’s why daily practice has no clock, and the timed boss fights open only for tables a child already knows, with a calm mode in Settings.

Apps help a little

On average, learning apps for young children give small to moderate gains, and the results vary a lot [6]. We see MathMatrix as a helpful extra, not the main way to learn maths.

Screens at school, with care

In PISA 2022, 15-year-olds who were distracted by other students’ devices in maths lessons scored lower, while up to an hour a day of device use for learning went with higher scores [7]. These are links among older pupils, not proof of cause. In Norway, the curricula now say that in years 1–4 digital devices are to be used with particular care and must not dominate teaching [8]. So we suggest MathMatrix mostly for home, and at school only for pupils who need extra practice. The printable sheets work for the whole class.

Ads are common in children’s apps

A 2019 study of 135 popular apps for children aged 5 and under found advertising in 95% of them, educational apps included [9]. Norway’s health directorate advises ad-free content for children [10]. MathMatrix has no ads, no purchases and no links out, and it collects no data.

At home: short and relaxed

Norway’s health directorate suggests at most 1–1.5 hours of leisure screen time a day for ages 6–12, and none in the last hour before bed [10]. A few minutes of practice fits easily. Help can backfire. In one study, children of maths-anxious parents who often helped with homework learned less [11].

What we don’t claim

Sources

1. Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J. & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58. doi:10.1177/1529100612453266
2. Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T. & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.132.3.354
3. Fuchs, L. S. et al. (2021). Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades (WWC 2021006). Institute of Education Sciences. ies.ed.gov
4. McNeil, N. M., Jordan, N. C., Viegut, A. A. & Ansari, D. (2025). What the science of learning teaches us about arithmetic fluency. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 26(1), 10–57. doi:10.1177/15291006241287726
5. Svingen, O. E. L. (2021). Barns utvikling av regnestrategier [teaching article]. Matematikksenteret, NTNU. matematikksenteret.no
6. Kim, J., Gilbert, J., Yu, Q. & Gale, C. (2021). Measures matter: A meta-analysis of the effects of educational apps on preschool to grade 3 children’s literacy and math skills. AERA Open, 7. doi:10.1177/23328584211004183
7. OECD (2023). PISA 2022 Results (Volume II): Learning During – and From – Disruption. OECD Publishing. doi:10.1787/a97db61c-en
8. Utdanningsdirektoratet. Råd for god digital praksis og skjermbruk i skolen (last changed 14.09.2026) and Råd for god digital praksis og skjermbruk 1.–4. trinn (19.06.2026). udir.no, udir.no (1.–4. trinn)
9. Meyer, M., Adkins, V., Yuan, N., Weeks, H. M., Chang, Y.-J. & Radesky, J. (2019). Advertising in young children’s apps: A content analysis. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 40(1), 32–39. doi:10.1097/DBP.0000000000000622
10. Helsedirektoratet. Skjermråd for barn og unge (national advice, 8.1.2026). helsedirektoratet.no
11. Maloney, E. A., Ramirez, G., Gunderson, E. A., Levine, S. C. & Beilock, S. L. (2015). Intergenerational effects of parents’ math anxiety on children’s math achievement and anxiety. Psychological Science, 26(9), 1480–1488. doi:10.1177/0956797615592630