MLC Number Frames
Product by The Math Learning Center
Facts checked: Not yet checked
Our take (not a Learning Standard rating). This label applies to learning-science judgments throughout this overview.
Our take (not a Learning Standard rating)
MLC Number Frames is a powerful visual tool for developing number sense, but it does not provide direct instruction or automated feedback. Instead of teaching concepts independently, it serves as an open-ended digital manipulative that helps students transition from one-by-one counting to recognizing mathematical groups and benchmark quantities when guided by an adult.
Pros
- Provides visual scaffolding that builds foundational number sense through subitizing and grouping.
- Allows customization of frame sizes to support advanced concepts like multiplication arrays and fractions.
- Eliminates the physical clutter and setup time associated with traditional classroom manipulatives.
- Includes drawing and text tools that encourage students to explain their mathematical reasoning.
Cons
- Lacks structured lessons, making it ineffective as a standalone learning tool without adult guidance.
- Offers no automated feedback or error correction when students represent quantities incorrectly.
- Does not track student progress or provide performance analytics over time.
What Do We Know About MLC Number Frames?
MLC Number Frames is highly effective for visual math practice when guided by an adult, but it will not teach your child math concepts on its own. This app functions entirely as a digital whiteboard filled with virtual math manipulatives. It is designed to replicate the physical ten-frames used in many elementary classrooms to build foundational number sense. Because it lacks a built-in curriculum, adaptive pathways, or self-correcting mechanisms, your child cannot simply log in and start learning independently. You or a teacher must provide the math problems and verify the answers. When used collaboratively, it is an excellent tool for applying the learning science principle of dual coding, which combines visual spatial representations with numerical concepts. Your child can place colored counters into frames of five, ten, or custom sizes to physically see how numbers relate to benchmark quantities. This helps transition young learners from counting on their fingers one by one to instantly recognizing groups of numbers, a vital cognitive skill known as subitizing. While The Learning Standard has not yet officially evaluated this specific application, it remains a highly regarded supplement for guided arithmetic practice at home or in the classroom.
How Does MLC Number Frames Work?
MLC Number Frames uses open-ended visual representation to support constructivist math exploration. The interface opens to a blank digital workspace where users drag and drop counting frames and colored chips onto the screen. Students or educators can select standard frames of five, ten, twenty, or one hundred, or they can build custom grids tailored to specific problems. Users populate these frames with red or blue counters to represent math equations, compare quantities, or visualize fractions. The app includes standard whiteboard tools, allowing your child to write equations, draw lines to group specific counters together, or type text explaining their logical thought process. There are no levels to unlock, no points to earn, and no structured progression paths to follow. The learning mechanics rely entirely on the user manipulating the digital objects to test mathematical hypotheses. This open sandbox environment requires an educator or parent to set the direct learning goal, such as asking a student to show three different ways to construct the number ten.
Strengths and tradeoffs of MLC Number Frames
The biggest strength of MLC Number Frames is its ability to make abstract numerical relationships visual, while its biggest weakness is the complete absence of independent instructional content. Visual Scaffolding: The app excels at helping early math learners develop subitizing skills. By using five-frames and ten-frames, students anchor their understanding of numbers to visual benchmarks, which reduces cognitive load during addition and subtraction. Flexibility Across Grades: While primary students primarily use standard ten-frames for basic arithmetic, older students can create custom mathematical arrays to visually model complex multiplication and division problems. Lack of Feedback Loops: Because the app provides no corrective feedback, a student can easily model a math problem incorrectly and internalize the wrong answer. Learning science heavily emphasizes the importance of immediate, targeted feedback for skill acquisition, which this digital tool cannot provide on its own. Requires Direct Facilitation: The absence of worked examples or guided practice means the cognitive heavy lifting of lesson design falls entirely on the parent or teacher. Without targeted prompts and adult guidance, students are highly likely to treat the manipulatives as digital toys rather than focused mathematical tools.
Who Might Benefit From MLC Number Frames?
Best for elementary students who need visual scaffolding to understand basic arithmetic alongside direct adult instruction. It is highly recommended for parents helping their children with math homework that specifically requires ten-frames or visual mathematical arrays. Teachers will find it ideal for interactive whiteboard demonstrations or guided small-group instruction using iPads or Chromebooks. It is not suitable for students looking for independent learning, automated math drills, or game-based practice. The open-ended nature of the tool makes it most effective for kindergarten through third-grade students who are actively transitioning from physical math manipulatives to abstract numerical reasoning.
Data Transparency
Does Not Meet Data Transparency Standard
MLC Number Frames does not meet our data transparency standard. Its privacy policy does not document basic protections, including limits on sharing children's data, a COPPA or FERPA commitment and parents' right to see their child's data.
15 of 35 checks passed
Evaluated September 2026
Apps Privacy Statement →Level 1 · Basic protections
Does not sell data or target ads at students, limits sharing, and lets parents see and delete their child's data.
Not documented: limits on sharing children's data, a COPPA or FERPA commitment, parents' right to see their child's data, parents' right to delete their child's data
Level 2 · Parent control (meets the standard)
Families can get their data out, know who processes it, and know how long it is kept.
Not documented: self-service deletion
Level 3 · Direct data access
Families or schools can pull their own data through an API, in a stated format.
Not documented: an API for retrieving their own data, a named export format
View all 35 checks
Parent Access0/8
Does the policy mention parents specifically?
The policy does not mention parents; it refers only to users, teachers, and school or district administrators.
Can parents view their child's data?
The policy does not address parents viewing their child's data.
Can parents modify their child's data?
The policy does not address parents modifying their child's data.
Can parents delete their child's account?
The policy does not address parents deleting their child's data or account.
Is there a dedicated Children's Privacy section?
The policy has no dedicated section on children's privacy or COPPA.
Does it reference COPPA compliance?
The policy does not mention COPPA.
Does it reference FERPA compliance?
The policy does not mention FERPA.
Is parental consent required for child accounts?
The policy does not address parental consent for child accounts.
Data Portability2/5
Can users access their personal data?
“If you wish to access, correct, update, or request deletion of your personal information, you can do so at any time as described in the “Updating & Correcting Personal Information” heading below.”
Can users download/export their data?
“In addition, you can object to processing of your personal information, ask us to restrict processing of your personal information, or request portability of your personal information. You can exercise these rights by contacting us at MLCinfo@mathlearningcenter.org.”
Is there a self-service data access tool?
The policy handles access requests by email and describes no self-service access tool.
Is a specific data format mentioned for export?
The policy does not name a format for exported data.
Is there an API for data access?
The policy does not mention an API for data access.
Data Minimization3/6
Is data collection itemized?
“the information collected on the Website may consist of information including, but not limited to, your full name; home or business address; billing address; phone number; fax number; email address;”
Can the app be used without a real name?
“We will never ask you to provide us with your or someone else’s personal information in order to access, or while you are using, the Apps.”
Can the app be used without an email?
“We will never ask you to provide us with your or someone else’s personal information in order to access, or while you are using, the Apps.”
Does it state collection is limited to what is necessary?
The policy lets collection rest on consent or legitimate interests and never states that collection is limited to what is necessary.
Is IP address anonymized or truncated?
The policy says IP addresses are collected and does not say they are anonymized or truncated.
Is location tracking explicitly excluded?
The policy says aggregated regional location data is collected and does not rule out location tracking.
Third-Party Protection5/7
Does it explicitly state no selling of data?
“Except in the limited circumstances stated in this Privacy Statement, we do not share, sell, or otherwise transfer or disclose your personal information to any third party.”
Are third-party providers named?
“Google Analytics™ and Apple® Analytics automatically collect certain usage and performance data from our Website and App users.”
Are providers contractually restricted?
“These third parties are required to keep the information confidential and are not authorized to process your personal information or Automatically Collected Information for any other purpose other than as instructed by us.”
No-targeted-advertising commitment?
“We do not use any advertising, targeting, or marketing cookies on our Website or Apps.”
Is AI/ML data sharing addressed?
The policy does not address AI or machine learning.
Child-specific sharing restriction?
The policy has no sharing restrictions specific to children.
Cookies/tracking limited or opt-out?
“You can customize or disable these cookies through your browser settings.”
Deletion & Retention3/5
Can users delete their account?
“If you request that your personal information be changed or deleted from our databases, we will use commercially reasonable efforts to remove your personal information from our databases”
Self-service deletion mechanism?
The policy handles deletion by email request and describes no self-service deletion tool.
Specific data retention timeline?
“Currently, Save States are set to automatically delete after two years from their last date of access.”
Auto-deletion of inactive accounts?
The policy auto-deletes unused Save States, which are not linked to any account, but does not describe auto-deleting inactive accounts.
Post-deletion handling described?
“When we have no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal information, we will either delete it or anonymize it, or, if this is not possible (for example, because your personal information has been stored in backup archives), then we will securely store your personal information and isolate it from any further processing until deletion is possible.”
Advertising2/4
Advertising model explicitly disclosed?
“We do not use any advertising, targeting, or marketing cookies on our Website or Apps.”
Free from third-party advertisements?
The policy only says it uses no advertising cookies and does not state that the product is free of third-party ads.
Children excluded from ad targeting?
“We do not use any advertising, targeting, or marketing cookies on our Website or Apps.”
Ad-free option available?
The policy does not state that the product has no advertising or offer an ad-free option.
What This Means
The policy review did not meet our data transparency standard. The checks above show the documented findings and unknowns. A missing statement does not establish how the app handles data in practice.
About this evaluation: Based on automated analysis of Apps Privacy Statement against 35 policy-disclosure questions, including questions adapted from the Common Sense Privacy Program's published evaluation questions. TLS is not affiliated with Common Sense Media, and this is not a Common Sense rating. Quoted text is copied from the policy; unquoted notes are our summary. Results describe what the policy documents, not the company's actual practices. Privacy policies can change: this review reflects the version we analyzed and does not determine legal compliance.
Sources and review method
TLS combines product information and editorial analysis to explain how MLC Number Frames works, its tradeoffs, and the questions to ask before choosing it. Product features, an instructional rationale and evidence of learning outcomes are different kinds of information.
Formal Learning Standard assessment: not yet completed. Data Transparency findings are reported separately and do not establish learning effectiveness. Read our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions About MLC Number Frames
Is MLC Number Frames free?
Yes. The Math Learning Center provides MLC Number Frames entirely for free. There are no hidden subscription fees, in-app purchases, or premium versions locked behind paywalls. Because it is funded by a nonprofit organization, educators and parents can access the full suite of visual tools without encountering any monetization hurdles or trial periods, making it an highly accessible resource for all classrooms.
Is MLC Number Frames good for early elementary students?
Yes, MLC Number Frames is excellent for early elementary students when used with active adult guidance. It helps young learners physically visualize numbers and build foundational cognitive skills like counting, grouping, and subitizing. These skills are critical for early math development. However, because it lacks independent lessons, parents or teachers must sit with the child to provide the math problems and guide the interaction.
What does MLC Number Frames teach?
MLC Number Frames does not teach concepts directly, but it provides a structured workspace to practice counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication arrays, and fractions. It helps students explicitly understand how individual numbers group together into fives, tens, and other benchmark quantities. By replacing rote memorization with visual grouping, it helps children develop a much deeper, more flexible understanding of core numerical relationships.
Does The Learning Standard recommend MLC Number Frames?
MLC Number Frames is currently pending evaluation by The Learning Standard. While it has not yet received an official rating according to our rigorous methodology, its adherence to established visual math principles makes it a widely respected classroom tool. Until we complete our full assessment of its educational efficacy, we recommend using it strictly as a supplement alongside an evidence-based curriculum.
Has The Learning Standard evaluated MLC Number Frames?
TLS has not yet completed a Learning Standard evaluation of how well MLC Number Frames teaches. Its privacy policy has been reviewed for Data Transparency and does not yet document the basic protections (Level 1).
Is MLC Number Frames COPPA compliant?
A COPPA reference was not found in the reviewed privacy policy. This does not determine whether the app complies with COPPA. Policy review note: The policy does not mention COPPA.
Is MLC Number Frames FERPA compliant?
A FERPA reference was not found in the reviewed privacy policy. This does not determine whether the app complies with FERPA. Policy review note: The policy does not mention FERPA.
Does MLC Number Frames have a children's privacy policy?
No dedicated children's privacy section was found in the reviewed policy. Policy review note: The policy has no dedicated section on children's privacy or COPPA.
Does MLC Number Frames sell student data?
The reviewed policy states that the app does not sell data. This is a policy statement; actual data practices were not verified. Policy review note: The policy states the vendor does not sell personal information.
Can you delete your data from MLC Number Frames?
The reviewed privacy policy describes account deletion. We have not tested the deletion process. Policy review note: Users can ask for their personal information to be deleted.
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