Mathletics

Intervention description

Mathletics is an interactive web-based mathematics intervention for primary school pupils. Central to Mathletics is a large bank of activities mapped to the primary maths curriculum, which are completed by pupils individually within school time. Teachers can assign activities to the whole class, to groups or to individual pupils, and pupils then choose from a list of available topics displayed on the pupil dashboard. Each activity consists of 10 randomly generated questions on that topic, and the level of difficulty responds to the pupil's progress. Immediate feedback is provided to pupils on their answers, and if they are struggling with a problem they can access the Support Centre where they can view a demonstration of the steps taken to solve a similar problem. The aim is for pupils to achieve mastery of each mathematical concept before they move on.

Teachers can view real-time data including pupil percentage scores, and can export this data if desired. They can also preview activities and read Teachers’ Guides before assigning activities to pupils. Another element of the intervention is Live Mathletics, which involves pupils competing against classmates and other pupils around the world in maths games. Pupils are ranked and matched against other pupils of a similar level, and answer as many questions as possible on a given topic within a time limit. In addition to classroom activities, Mathletics can be accessed at home, and teachers can assign specific activities to be completed for homework tasks, again on an individual, group or whole-class basis.

Professional development/training

The provider runs a series of in-school workshops for new and experienced Mathletics teachers.

Technology

Mathletics can be accessed by PC/Mac, iOS, Android devices as well as Windows tablets and Chromebooks.

Evidence Summary

Mathletics has not been included in any systematic reviews into the effectiveness of educational programmes.