Fifth grade is a crucial time for children, especially in math class. Division, decimals, fractions, exponents and basic geometry — it can all be stressful for not only students, but parents, too. This is a fact that one of our Elephant Learning parents knew very well.

Tears at Math Time

Nicole H. has a 10-year-old fifth-grader, Kaelyb, who, before using the Elephant Learning app, was not only failing math, but was also becoming disruptive during his math classes. Things weren’t much better at home. According to Nicole, all of their after-school homework sessions were filled with frustrated looks, whining and excuses. For Kaelyb, his big excuse was always the same: He couldn’t remember how to do the problem-solving he’d been taught at school.

Making Math Time Fun Again

Nicole came across an ad for the Elephant Learning app while scrolling through social media. Though she couldn’t find many reviews, she decided to give the app a try. Kaelyb had already been involved with tutors at his school, and Nicole had invested in a large dry erase board at home to make homework time more convenient. Almost immediately, Nicole began seeing positive changes with Kaelyb, particularly when it came to how excited he was when it came to math time. Kaelyb was excited to see how the Elephant Learning app worked and they were both thrilled that he could easily log in and play all by himself; in fact, she says, there are so many games to choose from that he had a difficult time choosing the first games to play!

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Getting Ahead with Increased Confidence

Now, Kaelyb is using the Elephant Learning app five days a week for as much as an hour per day, logging in first thing in the morning. He loves all the games and challenges himself to dedicate as much time as possible to the app, playing on it every day instead of just the recommended three times per week. Nicole loves the app because, while Kaelyb is having a fun time playing games and learning math concepts, she’s receiving charts that give her a good indication of his struggle areas so she can then personally work with him on those concepts.

The family has been using the app for about a month now. At Kaelyb’s first assessment, the app indicated what Nicole already knew — that he performed below grade level when it came to math. But, within the month they’ve been using the app regularly, Kaelyb advanced so much that he’s now understanding math concepts beyond his grade level. Nicole is excited for Kaelyb to return to school equipped with the new skills he’s learned and his increased confidence when it comes to solving math problems.