Comparison

Understanding Math vs Step Scanning

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Understanding Math

This educational app helps children learn to tell time with interactive games and activities. It features voice recording, adjustable difficulty, and progress tracking for parents and teachers. Designed to align with Common Core Math Standards, it offers a fun and engaging way to master time-telling skills.

Highlights
  • Voice recording for time recitation
  • Interactive learning clock mechanics
  • Setting analog and digital clocks
  • Calculating periods of time
  • Self-motivating timer function
  • Progress tracking for parents/teachers
  • Aligned with Common Core Math Standards
Features
Read full description

"Understanding Maths - Telling Time" is perfect for kids just learning to mark time, and also sophisticated enough for older students. The features include being able to record a child’s voice in telling the time, and the gentle scaffolding of the needed skills to help a child learn how to set the hands of the clock and how to do maths when calculating periods of time. Play is intuitive and the reinforcers keep kids engaged as it allows kids to advance at their own pace. Teachers and parents will appreciate the ability to collect data, check progress, and adjust difficulty as a child gains mastery. ***** Children´s Technologie Review Editor´s Choice 2016 CTR review: "Why we like it: Clean, structured teaching methods come to your iPad's screen, with this excellent time-telling tutorial that is ideal for early elementary classrooms." On opening, there are 6 mini units or games that are aligned to the U.S. Common Core Mathematics Standards. The Learning Clock The Learning Clock starts at the beginning by familiarizing children with the clock mechanics. It introduces the hour and minute hands, and how the clock is “set” to tell time. By using the cogwheel button that is located on top, kids can record their own voice in reciting the time. Using a local accent or having kids making up one of their own is tons of fun. Hearing their own voice helps to make the lessons stick by pulling in multisensory systems from the body. Touching the minute hand (or the second hand) on the face of the clock will display the minutes up to 60, bringing in strong bold and consistent visual prompts. Setting the Analog Clock In unit/game 2, turn the hands of the analog clock so that they match the time shown on the digital clock. This is easily said but also difficult for some children to master. Thoughtful visual prompts of using consistently in color alignment of the hour and minute hands throughout the app, help provide structure for retaining information. The tasks automatically become more difficult. Setting the digital clock In unit/game 3, by turning the hands of the digital clock kids match the time shown on the analog clock. Although seemingly similar to game 2, it is a subtle shift of increasing the difficulty to becoming more independent in telling time. Periods of Time In game/unit 4, children must project a mindset of how time passes to set the time on the clock according to the instructions on top. It is a beginning of interplay of past and future that helps “set” creative play and thought in motion. Timer The timer is a learning and play piece that is self-motivating and driven. Open experimentation with time on times frames for beginning and ending a task is explored. Teachers and parents can also use this as a countdown device, or simply for the fun of…”Can we walk from one hall to the next in 2 minutes?” My Clock My clock is an open playground for exploration of time. By winning 3 stars in games 2, 3, and 4; kids earn different time pieces. When playing as a class, it’s fun to compare how far you’ve gotten in the game and what clocks you’ve won. Playing only reinforces the concepts and practical life skills of telling time. appp media takes a child’s privacy and online safety very seriously. • no links to websites outside the app without a gate • no ads • no data collection or tracking • no social media sharing • no in-app purchases For detailed information on our privacy policy, visit www.apppmedia.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– KNOW WHAT'S INSIDE As a MOMs with Apps member, we follow the "Know what's inside" best practices for kids’ apps –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

About

Step Scanning

Features
Read full description

Step Scanning - Eight Lessons to Get There - is designed to teach the single switch user the concept of two switch step scanning. It is designed for single switch cause & effect users that are ready to move to the next level. The program is comprised of various activities grouped into 8 lessons. The activities are in the form of fun filled graphical games where the lesson concepts are embedded. The activities are purely graphical and do not require any reading ability. Lesson 1 - Single Switch Cause & Effect (A pre-requisite) Lesson 2 - Cause & Effect with Two Switches Lesson 3 - Interaction between Two Switches Lesson 4 - Step & Select Introduced Lesson 5 - Errorless Step Scanning Lesson 6 - Go Get It - Errorless Step Scanning Lesson 7 - Purposeful Step Scanning Lesson 8 - Step Scanning Matching Activity Each lesson moves the student a step closer to achieving step scanning. The concepts used in this app are based on the methods and concepts depicted in the book and CD Two Switches to Success written by Linda J. Burkhart. For more information on the book Two Switches to Success, visit www.Lburkhart.com.

Screenshots

Understanding Math4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Understanding Math at every 4 months against Step Scanning's every 19 months. Understanding Math also leads on price ($3.99 vs $7.99) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Understanding Math costs $3.99 and Step Scanning $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Understanding Math ships an update every 4 months, Step Scanning every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Understanding Math versus Step Scanning: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUnderstanding MathStep Scanning
Price$3.99 — better$7.99
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 19 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS6.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerappp media UGJudy Lynn Software, Inc.

In-app purchases

None

Understanding Math

No in-app purchases

None

Step Scanning

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Understanding Math free?
Understanding Math costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Step Scanning free?
Step Scanning costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Understanding Math or Step Scanning have ads?
Neither Understanding Math nor Step Scanning shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Understanding Math or Step Scanning?
Understanding Math ships an update every 4 months, and Step Scanning every 19 months. Most recently, Understanding Math was updated on October 10, 2026 and Step Scanning on September 30, 2026.

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