Coin Math

Price: $1.99
Grade Recommendation: 1st - 4th
Subject: Mathematics
Specific Skill: Money
Levels: 3
Players: 1
For iPad, iPod, or Both: Both

For the price, this is a very robust app! Students learn to identify coins, find how much money they have, and buy things.

The app actually is comprised of 11 different activities.
- What the Coins Look Like
- Beginning Match the Coins
- Match the Coins
- Count Coins
- Advanced Count Coins
- Shopping
- Intermediate Shopping
- Advanced Shopping
- Make Change
- Intermediate Make Change
- Advanced Make Change

All elementary-aged students should be able to find an activity that is 'just right' for them. The interface is simple and the app even provides audio and written directions.

I highly recommend you install this app for use during mathematics instruction.

U. S. Quarters

Price: Free!
Grade Recommendation: 1st and up
Subject: Social Studies & Mathematics
Specific Skill: USA, Money
Levels: N/A
Players: N/A
For iPad, iPod, or Both: iPad

This is a fun (and free!) app. Please note that it's quite simple and there's no opportunity for interaction. Students simply flip through large pictures of each quarter from the the States collection. Each picture is accompanied by the state's abbreviation and a brief description of the image depicted on the tails side.

Here's the information for my state's quarter:
Georgia (GA) - Wisdom, Justice, Moderation
T. James Ferrell
1999
Features the peach, a silhouetted outline of the state, live oak sprigs, and the Georgia state motto "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation".

Despite being a free app, advertisements are not included.

Make Change

Price: $1.99
Grade Recommendation: K - 3rd
Subject: Mathematics
Specific Skill: Money
Levels: 3
Players: 1
For iPad, iPod, or Both: iPad

The name of this app - Make Change - is misleading. Before purchasing it, I thought the students would be practicing the skill of making change. Like, "Jeff went to the store. He bought a pencil for $1.85. He gave the cashier $2.00. What was his change?" Nope. Instead, the students are given an amount and have to show that amount using the provided coins.

There are 3 difficulty levels - up to 50 cents, up to $1.00, and up to $5.00. Unfortunately, students do not have the option of using dollar bills nor dollar coins (or even half dollars) for amounts greater than $1.00.

This app is quite basic; for that reason, I don't think it's worth the price tag. But it is a suitable option for having students make various amounts of money and receiving feedback for their work.