First Grade Math Challenge vs Sound Boxes for Word Study
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
First Grade Math Challenge
Practice addition and subtraction skills with a barnyard theme. Collect and learn about animals by completing timed math challenges, unlocking fun facts and sounds. An in-app upgrade offers more levels and animals permanently.
- Addition & Subtraction practice
- Barnyard animal collection
- Timed math challenges
- Learn animal facts
- Animal sounds
- Gradually increasing difficulty
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Practice math skills and learn about animals around the barn! * Addition & Subtraction Edition is perfect for grades K-3 but still challenging and fun for everyone, even adults! * Collect and learn about barnyard animals by completing timed math challenges * Innovative dual learning opportunity, learn interesting facts about different animals while practicing math skills! * Tons of fun facts about each animal to learn and share with your friends! * Listen to each animal! * No annoying ads to distract from game play! This game is perfect for a First Grade, Second Grade, or Third Grade student! The levels gradually increase in difficulty as the game progresses.
Sound Boxes for Word Study
This educational app helps children develop foundational literacy skills by teaching them how letters and sounds combine to form words. It uses sound boxes to aid in segmenting word sounds, supporting both reading and writing development.
- Letter-sound association
- Word segmentation
- Supports reading skills
- Supports writing skills
- Foundational literacy development
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Children must develop the fundamental understanding that letters and sounds work together in systematic ways to form words. This understanding provides the foundation for the development of decoding skills. Word work is an essential component of literacy development. Utilizing sound boxes can help children segment sounds in words, which supports reading and writing.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: First Grade Math Challenge at 4.0 against Sound Boxes for Word Study's 3.1. First Grade Math Challenge also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 60%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). Sound Boxes for Word Study's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). On price, ratings volume, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
First Grade Math Challenge holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of First Grade Math Challenge's written reviews are positive against 60% of Sound Boxes for Word Study's.
First Grade Math Challenge ships an update every 2 months, Sound Boxes for Word Study every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Grade Math Challenge | Sound Boxes for Word Study |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (4 ratings) — better | 3.1 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better | 60.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 7 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 32 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Eric Marschner | Classroom Focused Software |
Customer experience
First Grade Math Challenge
Sound Boxes for Word Study
In-app purchases
First Grade Math Challenge
No in-app purchases
Sound Boxes for Word Study
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is First Grade Math Challenge free?
Is Sound Boxes for Word Study free?
Which has better reviews, First Grade Math Challenge or Sound Boxes for Word Study?
Do First Grade Math Challenge or Sound Boxes for Word Study have ads?
Which is updated more often, First Grade Math Challenge or Sound Boxes for Word Study?
Other comparisons
