Calabash is an app that allows students to independently practice their basic number facts for ten minutes each day. Students can begin practising even if they cannot count to five or recognise the digits. With support and consistent practice, it should allow them to master the four operations (+-x÷) and more. Mastering basic number facts accelerates mathematics learning because it gives students the tools to practice new concepts.
Calabash is the result of twelve years of teacher development, involving three previous apps (Banufa, Number Mine, and Numble) and countless paper-based systems. It has been tested at home and in several schools, including a special education school. It has a strong research foundation; for example, its original inspiration came from a review of peer-reviewed studies on teaching multiplication.
Getting started is easy. As it's a web app, it can be run through any browser or installed on an iPad as a web app. It's free to use and requires no login, which makes it easy to trial with a class. Below you will find a link to launch the app, a full guide, and related resources.
