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MathPad from IntelliTools

MathPad can be accessed with keyboard, mouse, and especially with IntelliKeys, Touch Windows or with switches. It involves working onscreen with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Students can practise and learn about maths equations whilst completing problems on their Macintosh or Windows computer. They can decide when to borrow, carry or show a remainder, with all their working out clearly displayed onscreen, or printed as a hard copy. The program has numerous access features. Navigation is very simple and straightforward. An automatic scanning option can be used with students who use a switch with IntelliKeys.

MathPad has a variety of size, font and colour options from which to choose. Preset font sizes of 18, 24, 36 and 48 point can be set quickly, or the font size changed in the Size menu. The style of font can also be changed to bold, italic, outline or shadowed. Any system font can be selected (e.g. Helvetica, Victorian Cursive Script). It is ideal for users who are visually impaired, as it is a voiced program. You can speak entries, rows and or the entire problem, or have it read problems automatically for you. Background, line and text colours can be changed at any time to suit the user's preference. Even a high contrast feature is available.

There are pre-packaged Problem Lists, including two levels of difficulty in each sample list for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. These are ready to answer, or can be referred to as sample lists. Teachers can design their own lists, and make them as elementary or as complex as they require. Problem Lists can be re-edited to suit individual differences and user preferences.

You can turn on features such as Regroup, Remainder and Decimal Point. A Menu Protection option provides teachers and parents with the ability to prevent easy access to the menus and desktop while the student is using MathPad. You can hide or show the Toolbar and a Keypad feature is available (i.e. an onscreen numeric keypad for mouse, Touch Window and Trackball users). You can set default settings to suit your specific needs.

MathPad is a very versatile program and caters directly to the maths needs of primary school aged children, especially those who require switch or alternate access. It has many innovative features, and is easy to use. It can be used as a Maths Sheet generator program as well. All computation is performed by the student, though. MathPad will check whether the problem has been answered correctly. You can then print a problem, groups of problems as well as the list of problems to be solved. MathPad promotes inclusion, as all students can benefit from practising their Maths.

NOTE: MathPad Plus is now available. It includes fraction and decimals and problems can be viewed in vertical or horizontal formats, spoken aloud and used with a mouse, IntelliKeys or a switch. Students can explore their solutions using fully accessible onscreen manipulatives: fraction bars, fraction pies and decimal grids. Problems can be represented both numerically and pictorially.