Number Ninja PRO
Every number, now with audio. Students hear the target number pronounced clearly, then race each other to say it back correctly.
Open App →Whole Class
- 1Connect the device to a speaker or use classroom audio so the number pronunciation is audible to every student.
- 2Run in 'hear-then-speak' mode: the audio plays first, screen is blank, students race to say what they heard.
- 3Alternatively, show the digit form on screen and play the audio simultaneously — students verify whether their silent reading matches the spoken form.
- 4For large classes, use team relay: one student from each team races to the microphone area while the rest of the team listens for errors.
The Teaching Logic Behind Number Ninja PRO
Number Ninja PRO is the audio-enhanced version of Number Ninja. The core mechanic is identical — a deterministic database covering cardinals, ordinals, years, measures, fractions, currencies, and phone numbers — but every number is also read aloud by the app, adding a full listening component to the production race. Difficulty tiers advance automatically as students answer correctly; there is no tier to select upfront.
The PRO variant maintains a separate deduplication history from the standard Number Ninja, so classes that use both will encounter different numbers in each. This makes the PRO a genuine extension rather than a repeat of the free version.
The audio layer is particularly valuable for numbers that look different on paper and sound different in speech — years (1999 sounds like 'nineteen ninety-nine'), large cardinals where stress patterns signal chunking, and phone numbers where grouping conventions differ between spoken and written form.
Why It Works
Aural input supports phonological mapping
Field (2008) argues that listening practice must include tasks that develop the mapping between acoustic signals and lexical representations. Hearing number words pronounced correctly while simultaneously seeing or producing them trains exactly this mapping for a category where written and spoken forms diverge significantly.
Multimodal encoding strengthens retention
Mayer's Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (2009) shows that combining auditory and visual input creates multiple encoding pathways in memory. Students who both hear and see (or produce) a number form retain it more durably than those who encounter only one modality.
Imitation is a valid first step to automaticity
Gatbonton & Segalowitz (2005) include imitation tasks in their model of fluency development. Hearing the model before producing it gives students a precise phonological target — especially valuable for numbers where student models are often distorted by L1 interference.
Step-by-Step in Class
Set up audio and configure rounds
Connect the device to a speaker before starting — audio is the core of the PRO experience. Then set the number of rounds and timer duration. Those are the only configuration controls alongside the auto-hide toggle. Difficulty tiers advance automatically; there is no tier to select manually.
Choose listen-first or simultaneous
Enable 'Auto-hide number' to run in listen-first mode: the screen stays blank while the audio plays and students race to say what they heard. Disable it for simultaneous mode, where the digit form and the audio appear together — students verify whether their silent reading matches the spoken form.
Reveal and confirm
After the race, reveal the digit form on screen. Discuss any discrepancies: did students hear 'fifteen' as 'fifty'? Did they chunk a large number differently? These error patterns are direct teaching points.
Replay for precision
The PRO variant allows replaying the audio. If a number caused widespread confusion, replay it, project the written form, and ask students to say it in unison with the audio. This immediate correction builds confidence before moving on.
How to Set It Up for Different Levels
Solo play with the auto-hide toggle on: the screen stays blank and the number plays aloud. Students race to say what they heard before the 30-second timer expires. 20 rounds.
Listening-only number recognition is significantly harder than reading. A1 students who can read '247' may not recognise 'two hundred and forty-seven' at natural speech speed. This mode closes that gap directly.
Team play with 2 teams, auto-hide off: the digit form appears on screen while the audio plays simultaneously. Teams race to produce the number. 15 rounds at 15 seconds each.
Simultaneous audio-visual input lets students notice mismatches between how they silently read a number and how English actually says it. Team stakes keep engagement high throughout.
Solo play with auto-hide on and no timer. Removing the clock lets students focus on accurately transcribing what they hear — years, phone numbers, and measures — without rushing. 25 rounds.
Contextual formats (years, phone numbers, prices) follow conventions that students know intellectually but can't always decode at speed. Removing time pressure establishes accurate listening first.
Ways to Extend the Game
Blind Transcription
Students close their eyes or turn away from the screen. The teacher plays the audio. Students write the digit form. Removes all visual support, targeting pure aural number recognition.
Pronunciation Police
After the audio plays, a student volunteer says the number. The class compares their version to the audio model and vote on whether the stress and segmentation matched. Non-competitive and analytical.
Number Bingo
Each student writes 9 numbers on a 3×3 grid. Teacher plays audio numbers at random from the PRO database. First student to complete a line calls 'Ninja!' and reads their winning numbers aloud to verify.
Minimal Pairs Audio
Play pairs of easily confused numbers (13 vs 30, 14 vs 40) back to back. Students write down which of the two they heard. Targets the -teen vs -ty distinction that causes persistent errors at A1–A2.
Pair It With
Number Ninja
Number Ninja is the silent reading version — use it first to build visual recognition, then use PRO to add the audio layer and develop full productive fluency in both directions.
Spelling Beef PRO
Spelling Beef PRO uses the same audio-first mechanic for vocabulary — a natural pairing for classes where both number expression and word spelling are active targets.
Brooklyn Trainer
Brooklyn Trainer's vocabulary boost and discussion questions can include number-heavy topics like statistics and trends — a meaningful context for the number-expression skills practised in Number Ninja PRO.