How are students being set up for success?

When practicing math skills, teachers and students have several options. Cooperative games VS. Ipad apps are two choices. There are many apps for math skills practice. My personal favorite is a paid app, QuickMath. For this app, students are shown fluency facts growth at the end of each session. Students enjoy telling me how much faster they have become at math facts fluency. Others like Sushi Monster, IXL and AR Facts in a Flash are pretty good.

This year I've returned to cooperative math games. They do take time due to modeling and training, but I see the benefits in the added challenge of turn taking, listening skills, speaking skills, materials management, emotions management and social skills practice. For me, it would be easier to have students practice in isolation on their individual ipad app or individual worksheets, but the added level of social skills practice and regulating emotions is what students need for long term success. There is a difference between setting students up for success by eliminating challenge THAN setting students up for long-term success by creating challenge.