My Math Academy™ Significantly Accelerates Early Elementary Children’s Math Skills... | Mathematics - Education Week - Age of Learning

Check out this RESEARCH BRIEF

APRIL 2020 by Age of Learning.

This study replicates and builds upon a randomized control trial of an earlier version of Age of Learning’s My Math Academy.

Explore recent data on how this effective, engaging and empowering tool builds math mastery in the classroom for PreK – Grade 2 Learners.

Key Findings

• Kindergarteners, first graders, and second graders using My Math Academy made significant learning gains in math, replicating the findings of a randomized control trial on an earlier version of the program.

• Teachers reported that in comparison to other educational technology, My Math Academy had a significantly positive impact on student learning, indicating that students who used My Math Academy were more engaged, motivated, and confident in learning math.   

• The more skills students mastered in My Math Academy, the greater the learning gains they experienced. 

• Greatest impacts were found where there was more room for growth: (a) among students with lower levels of math knowledge and (b) on the most difficult skills

• Teachers found My Math Academy easy to use in their classrooms and recognized it as a valuable learning resource for students. 

An extensive body of empirical evidence shows that math skills at school entry are the strongest predictor of later academic success and educational attainment,1, 2but many children lack the opportunity to build the math skills needed for future success. Children who begin school with relatively low levels of math knowledge are at risk of falling behind, and 60% of fourth graders in the U.S. are not proficient in math.3 As many children enter school unprepared for math,4 teachers face challenges in appropriately personalizing and individualizing learning for each student in their class.5 Educational technology can help teachers seeking to provide tailored learning experiences for students, and game-based digital curricula that involve play can promote motivation and learning.6 To understand the impact of one such program, Age of Learning, Inc.’s, My Math Academy, in developing early elementary children’s math skills and replicate a 2017 study on an earlier version of the program, Age of Learning partnered with WestEd to conduct a randomized control trial. For this study, WestEd researchers led the data collection and collaborated with Age of Learning researchers to analyze and interpret the data. 

 

†  Director, Efficacy Research and Evaluation, Age of Learning, Inc.

††Senior Research Associate, Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Program, WestEd 

1  Duncan, G. J., Dowsett, C. J., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A. C., Klebanov, P., Pagani, L. S., Feinstein, L., Engel, M., Brooks-Gunn, J., Sexton, H., Duckworth, K., & Japel, C. (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Developmental Psychology, 43(6), 1428–46. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.43.6.1428 

2 Entwisle, D. R., Alexander, K. L., & Olson, L. S. (2005). First grade and educational attainment by age 22: A new story. American Journal of Sociology, 110(5), 1458 –1502. https://doi.org/10.1086/428444  

3 National Assessment of Educational Progress. (2019). NAEP Report Card: Mathematics. The Nation’s Report Card. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/mathematics?grade=4 

4 National Research Council. (2009). Mathematics learning in early childhood: Paths toward excellence and equity. Washington DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/12519 

5 Dixon, F. A., Yssel, N., McConnell, J. M., & Hardin, T. (2014). Differentiated instruction, professional development, and teacher efficacy. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 37(2), 111–127. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162353214529042; Goddard, Y., Goddard, R., & Kim, M. (2015). School instructional climate and student achievement: An examination of group norms for differentiated instruction. American Journal of Education, 122(1), 111–131. https://doi.org/10.1086/683293 

6 Barab, S., Thomas, M., Dodge, T., Carteaux, R., & Tuzun, H. (2005). Making learning fun: Quest Atlantis, a game without guns. Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(1), 86–107. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02504859 

 

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Source: Education Week and Age of Learning