3seconds
It only counts what they know cold.
A half fills only when the answer beats the bar, on a day the answer wasn't shown. Working a fact out takes longer than remembering it.
Math facts practice for kids 8 to 11
Math facts,
known cold.
Ninety-second flash-card rounds built on learning research. A fact counts only when it comes in under 3 seconds.
The grid shows what
your child knows.
Each square holds a fact and its partner. A half fills only when the answer comes in under 3 seconds, on a day it wasn't shown.
-
Not yet
7 × 8 and 56 ÷ 8 are still in practice.
-
Fact known
7 × 8 = 56 in under 3 seconds fills the top half.
-
Partner known
56 ÷ 8 = 7 fills the bottom half, and the square closes.
-
Both fast
Answer both quickly enough and the square lights.
Try a round.
Five cards from the free tables, run on the app's rules. A full round is 20 cards and takes about 90 seconds.
- The bar is 3 seconds. A fact counts only if the answer beats it.
- A miss shows the answer, then asks for it from memory. Seeing the right answer after a miss is what makes it stick.
- Some cards pair up. 3 + 5 = 8 stays on screen while it asks 8 − 5, so addition teaches subtraction.
0
6 × 5 =
Five cards.
Beat the bar.
Type each answer before the bar runs out.
Your keyboard works too.Built on learning research.
Each rule in the app comes from a published finding. The app decides what to practice, so nobody picks tables or sets timers.
Read the researchMisses show the answer.
The child types it from memory, and it returns a few cards later. In one study, showing the answer after a miss raised retention a week later by 494%.
Pashler et al., 2005Learned facts come back.
The next day, a few days later, then every week or two. Recall spread over time, with a delayed first test, holds up best days later.
Karpicke & Roediger, 2007About 85% right.
Enough wins to keep going, enough misses to learn. A 2019 study of learning put the fastest rate near 85% correct.
Wilson et al., 2019Operations get mixed.
Review mixes every kind of fact a child has started, so each card means reading the sign. Mixed practice improved math scores in a classroom study.
Rohrer et al., 2015Addition teaches subtraction.
Right after 3 + 5 = 8, it asks 8 − 5 with the first fact still on screen. In a study of 81 children in kindergarten through third grade, this training beat two comparison groups. Times tables teach division the same way.
Paliwal, 2013No ads, accounts, coins, characters or leaderboards.
Prizes and points can undercut a child's own drive to learn, more so in children than adults. Here the reward is a grid that fills and times that fall.
Deci, Koestner & Ryan, 1999App Store privacy label: Data Not Collected
Free to try.
$7.99 once.
No subscription and no trial to cancel.
Free
$0
123456789101112
- The 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s in all four operations
- The full method, both grids and lit squares
- Free tables stay free
Every table
$7.99one time
123456789101112
- Adds the 3s, 4s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s, 11s and 12s, the facts most kids still count out
- One purchase covers your family's iPhones through Family Sharing
- No subscription, no ads, no account
Questions parents ask.
What is Second Nature?
Second Nature: Math Facts is an iPhone app that builds instant recall of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts for kids about 8 to 11. Rounds take about 90 seconds, and a fact counts only when the child answers it in under 3 seconds.
Is it based on research?
Yes. Each rule comes from a published finding: showing the answer after a miss, spaced review, keeping practice near 85% correct, mixing operations and teaching subtraction and division from their partner facts. The research page lists the studies.
Who is it for?
Kids roughly 8 to 11 who are learning their facts or still counting some of them out. It runs on a parent's iPhone, handed over for a round.
Does it teach facts a child doesn't know yet?
It builds speed on facts a child can already work out. A child still counting on fingers needs strategy help first, from school or a parent. A fact that keeps timing out stays an empty half, so you can see where to help.
How does it know a fact is learned?
A half fills when the answer comes in under 3 seconds on a day the answer wasn't shown. Filled facts come back for review. A fact that slips steps back quietly and fills again once it's fast.
What happens when the grid is full?
Speed becomes the goal. A square lights when both of its facts are fast, and practice turns to the slowest facts until every square is lit.
How much does it cost?
It's free to try with the 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s in all four operations. One $7.99 purchase unlocks every table for good and covers your family through Family Sharing. There is no subscription.
What does it need?
An iPhone on iOS 26 or later. There is no sign-up and no setup. Rounds work offline; buying the unlock needs a connection.
Can two kids share it?
Not yet. Version 1 tracks one learner per phone.
What do you collect about my child?
Nothing. There are no accounts, ads or analytics, and progress is stored only on the phone. See the privacy policy.
Facts that come without thinking.
Built by a dad who wanted his daughter's facts to be second nature.
Coming soon to the App Store