diff --git a/app/lessons/unit-1-fractions/divide/page.tsx b/app/lessons/unit-1-fractions/divide/page.tsx
index 836d530..0d24fe5 100644
--- a/app/lessons/unit-1-fractions/divide/page.tsx
+++ b/app/lessons/unit-1-fractions/divide/page.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export default function DividePage() {
 
       <h1 className="text-3xl font-bold tracking-tight">Divide Fractions</h1>
 
-      <FractionOperationExplorer />
+      <FractionOperationExplorer initialOperation="divide" />
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/app/lessons/unit-1-fractions/multiply/page.tsx b/app/lessons/unit-1-fractions/multiply/page.tsx
index 9e49ac2..1373226 100644
--- a/app/lessons/unit-1-fractions/multiply/page.tsx
+++ b/app/lessons/unit-1-fractions/multiply/page.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export default function MultiplyPage() {
 
       <h1 className="text-3xl font-bold tracking-tight">Multiply Fractions</h1>
 
-      <FractionOperationExplorer />
+      <FractionOperationExplorer initialOperation="multiply" />
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/app/lessons/unit-1-fractions/whole-from-fractions/page.tsx b/app/lessons/unit-1-fractions/whole-from-fractions/page.tsx
index 7d363b8..0910073 100644
--- a/app/lessons/unit-1-fractions/whole-from-fractions/page.tsx
+++ b/app/lessons/unit-1-fractions/whole-from-fractions/page.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export default function WholeFromFractionsPage() {
 
       <h1 className="text-3xl font-bold tracking-tight">Calculate the Whole from Fractions</h1>
 
-      <FractionQuantityExplorer />
+      <FractionQuantityExplorer initialMode="findWhole" />
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/app/lessons/unit-3-decimal-operations/multiply-divide/page.tsx b/app/lessons/unit-3-decimal-operations/multiply-divide/page.tsx
index 47b4172..31f9a98 100644
--- a/app/lessons/unit-3-decimal-operations/multiply-divide/page.tsx
+++ b/app/lessons/unit-3-decimal-operations/multiply-divide/page.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export default function MultiplyDividePage() {
 
       <h1 className="text-3xl font-bold tracking-tight">Multiply and Divide Decimals</h1>
 
-      <DecimalArithmeticExplorer />
+      <DecimalArithmeticExplorer initialOperation="multiply" />
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/app/lessons/unit-4-ratio-proportion/simplify-ratios/page.tsx b/app/lessons/unit-4-ratio-proportion/simplify-ratios/page.tsx
index bb8fc56..7166c28 100644
--- a/app/lessons/unit-4-ratio-proportion/simplify-ratios/page.tsx
+++ b/app/lessons/unit-4-ratio-proportion/simplify-ratios/page.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export default function SimplifyRatiosPage() {
 
       <h1 className="text-3xl font-bold tracking-tight">Simplify Ratios</h1>
 
-      <RatioExplorer />
+      <RatioExplorer initialMode="simplify" />
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/app/practice/page.tsx b/app/practice/page.tsx
index 8364b14..3faa066 100644
--- a/app/practice/page.tsx
+++ b/app/practice/page.tsx
@@ -117,7 +117,15 @@ export default function PracticePage() {
                   hover
                   className="cursor-pointer"
                   accent={topic.unitColor}
+                  tabIndex={0}
+                  role="button"
                   onClick={() => setSelectedTopic(topic)}
+                  onKeyDown={(e) => {
+                    if (e.key === "Enter" || e.key === " ") {
+                      e.preventDefault();
+                      setSelectedTopic(topic);
+                    }
+                  }}
                 >
                   <div className="flex items-center justify-between">
                     <span className="font-bold">{topic.label}</span>
diff --git a/components/explorers/conversion-explorer.tsx b/components/explorers/conversion-explorer.tsx
index 4923a65..62bd957 100644
--- a/components/explorers/conversion-explorer.tsx
+++ b/components/explorers/conversion-explorer.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { Card } from "@/components/ui/card";
 import { StepControls } from "./step-controls";
 import { MathDisplay } from "@/components/math/math-display";
 import { simplify, toKatex, gcd } from "@/lib/math/fractions";
+import { parseStrictDecimal, parseStrictInt } from "@/lib/math/validation";
 
 type ConvertMode = "decToFrac" | "fracToDec";
 
@@ -161,16 +162,16 @@ export function ConversionExplorer() {
     try {
       let s: Step[];
       if (mode === "decToFrac") {
-        const val = parseFloat(decInput);
-        if (isNaN(val) || val < 0 || val >= 10) {
+        const val = parseStrictDecimal(decInput);
+        if (val === null || val < 0 || val >= 10) {
           setError("Enter a valid decimal between 0 and 10.");
           return;
         }
         s = buildDecToFracSteps(decInput.trim());
       } else {
-        const n = parseInt(numInput);
-        const d = parseInt(denInput);
-        if (isNaN(n) || isNaN(d) || d === 0) {
+        const n = parseStrictInt(numInput);
+        const d = parseStrictInt(denInput);
+        if (n === null || d === null || d === 0) {
           setError("Enter a valid fraction (denominator ≠ 0).");
           return;
         }
diff --git a/components/explorers/decimal-arithmetic-explorer.tsx b/components/explorers/decimal-arithmetic-explorer.tsx
index 2efcc82..d7c6629 100644
--- a/components/explorers/decimal-arithmetic-explorer.tsx
+++ b/components/explorers/decimal-arithmetic-explorer.tsx
@@ -227,8 +227,12 @@ function ColumnArithmetic({
   );
 }
 
-export function DecimalArithmeticExplorer() {
-  const [op, setOp] = useState<DecOp>("add");
+export function DecimalArithmeticExplorer({
+  initialOperation = "add",
+}: {
+  initialOperation?: DecOp;
+} = {}) {
+  const [op, setOp] = useState<DecOp>(initialOperation);
   const [aInput, setAInput] = useState("12.45");
   const [bInput, setBInput] = useState("3.7");
   const [error, setError] = useState("");
diff --git a/components/explorers/fraction-operation-explorer.tsx b/components/explorers/fraction-operation-explorer.tsx
index 4c71fad..5217ca1 100644
--- a/components/explorers/fraction-operation-explorer.tsx
+++ b/components/explorers/fraction-operation-explorer.tsx
@@ -174,8 +174,12 @@ function FractionBar({
   );
 }
 
-export function FractionOperationExplorer() {
-  const [op, setOp] = useState<Operation>("add");
+export function FractionOperationExplorer({
+  initialOperation = "add",
+}: {
+  initialOperation?: Operation;
+} = {}) {
+  const [op, setOp] = useState<Operation>(initialOperation);
   const [n1, setN1] = useState("1");
   const [d1, setD1] = useState("3");
   const [n2, setN2] = useState("1");
diff --git a/components/explorers/fraction-quantity-explorer.tsx b/components/explorers/fraction-quantity-explorer.tsx
index b2e80b9..0391779 100644
--- a/components/explorers/fraction-quantity-explorer.tsx
+++ b/components/explorers/fraction-quantity-explorer.tsx
@@ -121,8 +121,12 @@ function QuantityBar({ filled, label }: { filled: number; label?: string }) {
   );
 }
 
-export function FractionQuantityExplorer() {
-  const [mode, setMode] = useState<FQMode>("fractionOf");
+export function FractionQuantityExplorer({
+  initialMode = "fractionOf",
+}: {
+  initialMode?: FQMode;
+} = {}) {
+  const [mode, setMode] = useState<FQMode>(initialMode);
   const [num, setNum] = useState("3");
   const [den, setDen] = useState("4");
   const [quantity, setQuantity] = useState("80");
diff --git a/components/explorers/ratio-explorer.tsx b/components/explorers/ratio-explorer.tsx
index e0717f2..ce13cd1 100644
--- a/components/explorers/ratio-explorer.tsx
+++ b/components/explorers/ratio-explorer.tsx
@@ -182,8 +182,12 @@ function RatioBar({
   );
 }
 
-export function RatioExplorer() {
-  const [mode, setMode] = useState<RatioMode>("divide");
+export function RatioExplorer({
+  initialMode = "divide",
+}: {
+  initialMode?: RatioMode;
+} = {}) {
+  const [mode, setMode] = useState<RatioMode>(initialMode);
   const [partA, setPartA] = useState("2");
   const [partB, setPartB] = useState("3");
   const [partC, setPartC] = useState("");
diff --git a/components/explorers/rounding-explorer.tsx b/components/explorers/rounding-explorer.tsx
index 165b06d..437ec74 100644
--- a/components/explorers/rounding-explorer.tsx
+++ b/components/explorers/rounding-explorer.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import { useState, useCallback } from "react";
 import { Card } from "@/components/ui/card";
 import { StepControls } from "./step-controls";
+import { parseStrictDecimal } from "@/lib/math/validation";
 
 type RoundTarget = "whole" | "1dp" | "2dp" | "1sf" | "2sf" | "3sf";
 
@@ -384,9 +385,9 @@ export function RoundingExplorer() {
   function handleGo() {
     setError("");
     const trimmed = input.trim();
-    const val = parseFloat(trimmed);
-    if (isNaN(val)) {
-      setError("Enter a valid number.");
+    const val = parseStrictDecimal(trimmed);
+    if (val === null) {
+      setError("Enter a valid number (digits and decimal point only).");
       return;
     }
     if (val < 0) {
diff --git a/components/explorers/standard-form-explorer.tsx b/components/explorers/standard-form-explorer.tsx
index cbacb77..84c1282 100644
--- a/components/explorers/standard-form-explorer.tsx
+++ b/components/explorers/standard-form-explorer.tsx
@@ -337,10 +337,11 @@ export function StandardFormExplorer() {
             <p className="text-sm text-muted">
               {totalSteps === 0
                 ? "Number is already in standard form position — power = 0"
-                : `Step ${currentStep} of ${totalSteps}`}
+                : `Step ${currentStep + 1} of ${totalSteps}`}
             </p>
 
             {/* Digit row */}
+            <div className="overflow-x-auto max-sm:pb-2">
             <div ref={numberRowRef} className="relative inline-flex items-end gap-2.5 px-4 pb-7 pt-2">
               {display.digits.map((ch, i) => {
                 const isLeadingZero = i < fz && fz !== -1;
@@ -372,6 +373,7 @@ export function StandardFormExplorer() {
                 }}
               />
             </div>
+            </div>
 
             {/* Direction label */}
             {dirText && (
@@ -403,7 +405,7 @@ export function StandardFormExplorer() {
       {/* Controls */}
       <Card className="p-4">
         <StepControls
-          currentStep={currentStep}
+          currentStep={currentStep + 1}
           totalSteps={totalSteps}
           isPlaying={isPlaying}
           onStepForward={stepForward}
diff --git a/components/explorers/step-controls.tsx b/components/explorers/step-controls.tsx
index 3a30e87..d28e832 100644
--- a/components/explorers/step-controls.tsx
+++ b/components/explorers/step-controls.tsx
@@ -44,8 +44,10 @@ export function StepControls({
   // Keyboard shortcuts
   const handleKeyDown = useCallback(
     (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
-      const tag = (e.target as HTMLElement).tagName;
+      const el = e.target as HTMLElement;
+      const tag = el.tagName;
       if (["INPUT", "TEXTAREA", "SELECT"].includes(tag)) return;
+      if (el.closest("button, [role='button'], a")) return;
 
       if (e.key === "ArrowRight" || e.key === " ") {
         e.preventDefault();
diff --git a/lib/math/validation.ts b/lib/math/validation.ts
index df868f3..bf6a3c4 100644
--- a/lib/math/validation.ts
+++ b/lib/math/validation.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,20 @@
 import { gcd } from "./fractions";
 import { simplifyRatio } from "./ratios";
 
+/** Parse a strict decimal string (digits and optional single dot). Rejects scientific notation, trailing letters, etc. */
+export function parseStrictDecimal(input: string): number | null {
+  const s = input.trim();
+  if (!/^\d+(\.\d+)?$/.test(s)) return null;
+  return parseFloat(s);
+}
+
+/** Parse a strict integer string (digits only, no dot or letters). */
+export function parseStrictInt(input: string): number | null {
+  const s = input.trim();
+  if (!/^\d+$/.test(s)) return null;
+  return parseInt(s, 10);
+}
+
 export type AnswerResult =
   | { correct: true; simplified: boolean }
   | { correct: false; message: string };