Comparison

Spark Reading for Kids vs Mental Math

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

Head to head
About

Spark Reading for Kids

This app offers a digital library of age-appropriate books for children in grades 2-8 to improve reading skills. It features interactive comprehension questions, progress tracking, and stories aligned with school curricula. Users can listen to stories and follow along, making reading practice engaging and accessible.

Highlights
  • Age-appropriate books (grades 2-8)
  • Interactive comprehension questions
  • Listen and follow along feature
  • Progress and score tracking
  • Aligned with school curriculum
  • Offline access
Features
Read full description

Cozy up with a good story this fall. Reduce reading struggles without all the pressure! Confidence with reading opens up every other possibility. • Studies show that just 10 minutes of reading a day makes a world of difference, with students recording higher scores in reading proficiency • Question and answer - questions about each story encourage deeper thinking and measure improving comprehension • You build mental strategies by learning to find clues within text that you’ve read • Choose your favorites from hundreds of topics - check out stories from history, from today, and from a world of fiction Explore the app and see for yourself. With practice you can achieve your best score! - Age-appropriate books from 2nd grade through 8th grade levels - Listen to the stories read out loud and follow along - Track student progress and scores - Aligned with school curriculum and common core standards - Curated by teachers and educators to explore every academic subject - Categories include science, sports, history, inventions, food and nutrition, geography, animals, music, mythology, biographies, and more There’s no wi-fi needed to play, so students can take this digital library with them on the go. No information is collected from the device, it is fully secure and COPPA compliant. "This app helped me in my reading. Now I have an A+. I am very happy I tried this app.” Spark Reading is completely free forever. If you choose to subscribe, payment will be charged to your Apple account. You can cancel at any time. We love to hear from you! Please send any feedback or questions to hello@peekaboo.mobi

About

Mental Math

This app teaches children arithmetic and calculation skills using an abacus and mental math techniques. It offers fun quizzes and practice problems to improve cognitive performance and mathematical ability.

Highlights
  • Abacus learning
  • Mental calculation techniques
  • Vedic math tricks
  • Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
  • Quiz-based learning
  • Progress monitoring
Features
Read full description

Abacus is a wonderful tool used for calculation. Mental Math will help your children learn about Abacus, Numbers, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division. It generates mathematical problems for kids to solve using mental calculation techniques, Vedic math tricks or using an Abacus. "Learn while you play" is our motto. We thrive to deliver the elementary math game where you can learn online in a fun manner. Specially designed quiz helps you to sharpen your mental ability to solve complex calculations and improve your cognitive performance. The Main features of the Mobile application are its ability to provide the students with intelligent features and provide a holistic approach which makes learning mathematics – A Fun. • Realistic assessment practice to ensure improved test scores. • Reach everyone - Teach everyone Methodology. • Students are at the heart of everything we do. • Insightful and Actionable reports to monitor student progress and measure growth. Connect With Mental Math Twitter - https://twitter.com/mentalmathdotme Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mentalmath.me/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MentalMath.me Terms & Conditions - https://mentalmath.me/terms-and-conditions Got any questions or feedback? Reach out to us at contact@mentalmath.me Copyright © 2024 MentalMath.me

Screenshots

Spark Reading for Kids4 screens
Mental Math4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Spark Reading for Kids at 4.6 against Mental Math's 3.7. Spark Reading for Kids also leads on ratings volume (8K vs 19) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Spark Reading for Kids sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Mental Math sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Spark Reading for Kids holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spark Reading for Kids has 8K ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Spark Reading for Kids's written reviews are positive against 63% of Mental Math's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spark Reading for Kids ships an update every 10 days, Mental Math every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Spark Reading for Kids versus Mental Math: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpark Reading for KidsMental Math
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (8K ratings) — better3.7 (19 ratings)
Positive reviews77.7% of reviews — better62.5% of reviews
Number of ratings8K — better19
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size350 MB91 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPeekaboo Studios LLCMehul Mistri

Customer experience

Spark Reading for Kids

All ratings7,942 ratings
Positive89.1%
Neutral4.0%
Negative6.9%
Written reviews148 reviews
Positive77.7%
Neutral4.1%
Negative18.2%

Mental Math

All ratings19 ratings
Positive68.4%
Neutral5.3%
Negative26.3%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative37.5%

Bugs and requests

Spark Reading for Kids

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login/account issues
  • Compatibility problems on older devices
  • Syncing issues across multiple devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • More free content and books
  • Ability to highlight/take notes
  • Customizable reading difficulty
  • Support for dyslexic readers

Mental Math

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Spark Reading for Kids

Subscriptions6
  • All Access$3.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • All Access$6.993 Months
Show 3 more
  • Annual Subscription3 Days trial$23.991 Year
  • All Access7 Days trial$23.991 Year
  • All Access$23.991 Year
4 purchases

Mental Math

Subscriptions3
  • Mental Math Premium$0.991 Month
  • Mental Math Premium$1.993 Months
  • Mental Math Premium$6.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Ad-Free$0.99

Questions

Is Spark Reading for Kids free?
Spark Reading for Kids is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mental Math free?
Mental Math is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Spark Reading for Kids or Mental Math?
Spark Reading for Kids is rated higher. Spark Reading for Kids averages 4.6 out of 5 from 8K ratings, while Mental Math averages 3.7 from 19 ratings.
Do Spark Reading for Kids or Mental Math have ads?
Neither Spark Reading for Kids nor Mental Math shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Spark Reading for Kids or Mental Math?
Spark Reading for Kids ships an update every 10 days, and Mental Math every 5 weeks. Most recently, Spark Reading for Kids was updated on October 29, 2026 and Mental Math on October 21, 2026.

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