Why I built this
I never learned my times tables. It has bugged me my whole life. I can do harder stuff, but I still stall on 7×8, and I did not want my son hitting the same wall I did.
The thing that finally made it click for me was simple. You cannot do the harder math if the easy facts are not already in your head. Your brain can only juggle a few things at once. If 7×8 is not already automatic, it has to stop and work out the fact in the middle of the bigger problem, and that is usually where it falls apart. Schools got talked out of memorization for a while. A lot of that got walked back. I wish someone had just had me memorize them.
So I built this so my son and I can play while we are driving, just by talking to it. We compete. A car ride turns into a game instead of a screen. I want him to have an easier time in math than I did, and I want us doing it together.
It was designed to be played by a parent and their child. But the whole family can play together, or you can even practice alone. And if you need to keep it quiet, there is a tap mode so you can answer without talking.
It also follows one of the rules of good teaching: the software adapts to the learner, keeping them engaged but still challenged. It adjusts so each player gets about 80% of their answers right. As you learn more, you get the problems that are harder for you, which reinforces your learning while keeping it fun.
And it is a game. The faster you answer, the more points you get. There is a leaderboard so you can see how you are all doing. And there is even a chart where you can see which times tables you have mastered and which ones you need help on.
This will always be free. It runs on free open-source software. I am not trying to make money on it. I built it for my family. If it helps another kid learn math and actually like it, that is the whole point.
— Travis