Cambugs 2 vs DysCalculator

Cambugs 2: Phonics teaches children to say graphemes (such as ‘ch’ and ‘ue’). This is the second step on their journey to become fluent, confident readers — following our previous app, Cambugs: Letter Sounds. Cambugs 2: Phonics introduces eighteen new bugs, and a more exciting bug collection on iPad. Cambugs has been developed by educational psychologists and parents. We know the importance of parents taking an active role in their children’s learning, so we developed an app where parents/teachers and children work together. Cambugs 2: Phonics is targeted at pre-readers, as well as struggling older readers. It uses evidence-based techniques that research has shown helps children develop their reading skills. You will notice in this app that children engage in lots of repetition — this is because this is a very effective strategy for ensuring that children remember and retain the sounds that they learn. There is also a test for ensuring that your child is able to remember their sounds quickly and fluently — this is because fluency is a key skill needed for becoming a confident reader. ◆ Developed by educational psychologists using teaching techniques that we know work. ◆ Teaches your child their sounds to a level where they can demonstrate confidence and fluency — key skills needed for later word reading and comprehension of text. ◆ Uniquely designed as a joint activity so that you are guiding your child through their learning. Think of it as being a bit like sitting down and reading a story with your child. ◆ When children learn a new sound they are rewarded with a ‘Cambug’. These bugs have been designed by children for children. ◆ Statistics screen shows you how many sounds your child knows and which sounds they need to learn. This is very useful if being used in a school setting. Cambugs 2: Phonics includes four activities : ‣ Sorting: Sort sounds into two piles (sounds your child knows and sounds that have yet to be learned ). This initial activity ensures the app is personalised to meet the specific learning needs of your child. ‣ Learning: Children learn a new sound alongside sounds that they know already. This is called ‘interleaved learning’ and ensures your child remembers their sounds. ‣ Fluency Test: Children are timed to see how quickly they can say each sound. The app automatically puts letters that your child has not yet learned fluently back in the unknown pile to be re-learned at a later date. If your child likes the competitive element of the test, switch on the Time Challenge. ‣ Bug Collection: Your child will find a new bug in their collection whenever they learn a new sound and they can visit this at any time!

DysCalculator is designed for people with dyscalculia and related learning differences. It reflects how these individuals perceive and work with numbers, using language, visual, and spatial cues to build number sense, confidence, and understanding. Developed from years of research into maths accessibility, DysCalculator simplifies numerical tasks by adapting to how users interact with numbers and technology. Key features: • Numbers arranged by magnitude (0 to 9) • Operators ordered by precedence (PEMDAS/BODMAS) • Natural-order input (e.g. 2 + 3 = for addition) • Visual step-by-step workings to explain calculation logic • Solve for unknowns (e.g. 3 + ? = 5) • Solve time calculations (e.g. elapsed time, differences) • Pictograms for time, fractions, and percentages • Tax and percentage calculators with preset values Customisable: • Personal greetings • Alternate key labels (e.g. “plus” or “and” for +) • OpenDyslexic font for dyslexic users • Irlen-style shading to improve legibility • Multiple languages, including te reo Māori and German • Read keys aloud • Different keyboard layouts and fixed decimal formats DysCalculator doesn’t just give answers – it helps everyone understand how maths works. Whether you're using it independently, in a classroom, or as a support tool, it’s built to make maths more accessible, intuitive, and less intimidating.