Frequently Asked Questions
How does Elephant Learning work?
Elephant Learning is an app that works on your phone, tablet, or personal computer. Using the latest scientific research in mathematics education, we provide students with experiential learning.
Our app delivers a proven curriculum in a gamified environment. Having worked with over 50,000 students we have determined that our program will teach your child one year of math over the course of three months - just from using the program for 10 minutes a day, 3 days a week.
Elephant Learning teaches the language of mathematics so a student can excel in a classroom or real world situation. Instead of focusing on memorization, our technology constantly adapts to your student. If they answer a question incorrectly, our system finds the gap in understanding and fills it with the most effective activities. If they answer a question correctly, we advance them forward to get them to the next level quickly.
The result of this approach to teaching math is that the student is always working on activities that are targeted to their learning level. By delivering the right activity, at the right time, we accelerate learning much faster than in a classroom where a teacher is trying to keep all of the students focused on the same lesson - regardless of their individual level of understanding and knowledge.
Our approach to teach mathematics is not grounded in memorization. Instead, our software activities were designed by education experts and are proven to teach fundamental concepts. The secret to accelerated learning is to provide your child with the right activity, at the right time, to build upon the knowledge they’ve already learned.
We teach math from many different angles because mathematics can be represented in many different ways. By using this approach we can establish a deeper understanding of the concepts and empower our students to use this knowledge in the classroom and their daily lives.
What does the Elephant Learning curriculum cover?
The Elephant Learning curriculum covers fundamental mathematics concepts including:
- Counting
- Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division
- Fractions
- Decimals
- Percentages
- Algebra
- and much more...
If your child is working on any of the concepts listed above, Elephant Learning will help them. Based on average math scores in the United States, if your child is struggling with mathematics and under the age of 16, Elephant Learning can help.
Our system teaches math conceptually - which really means that we teach math as a language. If you have ever learned another language, you know the best way to learn is by speaking the language in context, so that the learning is experiential. In a similar way, our app provides mathematical experiences that we then place language around. The activities build intuition in mathematics by providing a safe space for your child to experiment and play with the concepts using puzzles on the screen.
As your child learns the concepts and develops an intuition for math, their classroom experience is enhanced with this deeper understanding. Elephant Learning doesn’t need to be a substitute for classroom instruction - but it always enhances classroom instruction if your child is in a traditional classroom setting.
When a child understands these concepts, doing math becomes enjoyable. Unlike the way many adults learned math (via memorization) a conceptual understanding of math makes solving problems easier and fun.
Our algorithms quickly determine what your child does and doesn’t understand. We then use that information to custom design a curriculum to your child’s specific needs. The app then provides your child with activities to build math fluency. These activities and questions were proven by third-party research to teach mathematics more effectively than a traditional classroom setting.
We also believe that parents deserve greater insight into their child’s educational progress. We provide regular reports and real-time dashboard metrics so parents (and teachers) know exactly (a) what a child is working on, (b) what their level of understanding and mastery is, and (c) what can be done to take those concepts and integrate them into real life scenarios.
All children, regardless of background or learning impairments, are able to learn the language of mathematics. It just requires a commitment to meet the child at their level of understanding and then systematically build on that foundation going forward at the child’s learning pace.
Will Elephant Learning work for my child?
The Elephant Learning curriculum covers counting, addition/subtraction/multiplication/division, fractions, decimals, percentages, Algebra, and much more.
We teach math conceptually which means that we are focused on teaching the language and concepts behind the math - as opposed to just drilling math problems for memorization - a common problem with how most students learn math. While memorizing allows a child to quickly answer the question, “what is 4 times 5?” it causes major issues when that child is asked to complete word problems or Algebra equations.
Memorizing math facts not only makes learning more advanced math more difficult, but it creates undue stress for a child in math class. Memorization makes math almost useless when it comes to real world application.
Sadly, the “memorization approach” to math is how most adults learned math and it contributes to math anxiety in both adults and children alike. In fact, almost half of first and second grade students in the United States report having math anxiety.
Young children tell themselves they are not a "numbers person" and decide not to learn math. It might be the case that you believe you’re not a “numbers person” which is why you’re considering a math app to help your child.
Most mathematics concepts are not difficult to grasp - if taught properly. The Elephant Learning software presents activities that are known and proven to teach fundamental math concepts in a safe and encouraging environment. Our technology doesn’t leave children feeling judged and it allows them to develop intuition and deep understanding of mathematics.
Regardless of whether your child is struggling with mathematics or far exceeding the math that other children their age normally do, Elephant Learning can provide targeted, customized teaching to your child.
As part of our initial placement process, we determine your child’s math proficiency and then build upon the concepts they already understand to accelerate their learning.
If you have math anxiety or feel that you don’t understand math as well as you would like, why not give Elephant Learning a try in order to help your child avoid these feelings when they are an adult?
My child is significantly ahead of their classmates. Will Elephant Learning work for them?
Absolutely! Once you set your child up in the Elephant Learning app, the first thing we do is give your child a Placement Exam. While we know this is a Placement Exam, the child feels like they are playing a game and just answering questions.
Our Placement Exam operates in a “test out” mode. This means that we assign a series of subjects based on your child’s age and then ask the most challenging questions from each subject. If your child answers all the questions correctly, we move on to new subjects. If they answer questions incorrectly or skip questions, we register that your child needs additional teaching in that subject.
Because of our approach to placement, if your student is significantly ahead of other students their age, the Placement Exam will take them longer. This is actually a good thing because (1) it confirms that your student is already excelling at mathematics, and (2) it allows us to provide customized, targeted learning that will keep them more engaged once they move out of the placement test.
While the Placement Exam for a student that is “significantly ahead” of their peers may take longer to complete, we still recommend using the app for only ten minutes per day, three days per week. This will allow for accurate placement without overwhelming your child with questions they find “too easy.”
Our Placement Exam is intended to be seamless for your child so they do not feel like they are being tested. Our technology automatically switches from the placement test to coursework when your child is ready and they will not be able to notice the difference.
The questions and puzzles we use are all proven techniques for teaching math concepts and children learn by solving them. If for some reason you feel that the testing is either too easy or too hard for your child, please contact us (support@elephantlearning.com) and we will be happy to work with you to get your student properly placed in the curriculum.
My child is significantly behind their classmates. Will Elephant Learning work for them?
Absolutely! Once you set your child up in the Elephant Learning app, the first thing we do is give your child a Placement Exam. While we know this is a Placement Exam, the child feels like they are playing a game and just answering questions.
Our Placement Exam operates in a “test out” mode. This means that we assign a series of subjects based on your child’s age and then ask the most challenging questions from each subject. If your child answers all the questions correctly, we move on to new subjects. If they answer questions incorrectly or skip questions, we register that your child needs additional teaching in that subject.
Because of our approach to placement, if your student is significantly behind other students their age, the Placement Exam will be fairly short. This is actually a good thing because (1) it confirms that your student will benefit greatly from learning mathematics via the app, and (2) it allows us to provide customized, targeted learning that will help them get caught up to their peers much faster than in a classroom setting.
While the Placement Exam for a student that is “significantly behind” their peers may be faster to complete, we still recommend using the app for only ten minutes per day, three days per week. This will allow for accurate placement without overwhelming your child with questions they find “too hard.”
Our Placement Exam is intended to be seamless for your child so they do not feel like they are being tested. Our technology automatically switches from the placement test to coursework when your child is ready and they will not be able to notice the difference.
The questions and puzzles we use are all proven techniques for teaching math concepts and children learn by solving them. If for some reason you feel that the testing is either too hard or too easy for your child, please contact us (support@elephantlearning.com) and we will be happy to work with you to get your student properly placed in the curriculum.
My child has special needs. Will Elephant Learning work for them?
Most likely. Once you set your child up in the Elephant Learning app, the first thing we do is give your child a Placement Exam. While we know this is a Placement Exam, the child feels like they are playing a game and just answering questions.
Our Placement Exam operates in a “test out” mode. This means that we assign a series of subjects based on your child’s age and then ask the most challenging questions from each subject. If your child answers all the questions correctly, we move on to new subjects. If they answer questions incorrectly or skip questions, we register that your child needs additional teaching in that subject.
Because of our approach to placement, we feel confident that we can accurately identify your child’s current understanding of mathematics and then provide customized, targeted learning that will help them learn much better than in a traditional classroom setting.
If possible with your child’s needs, we recommend using the app for ten minutes per day (no more, no less), three days per week. This will allow for accurate placement without overwhelming your child.
Our placement exam is intended to be seamless for your child so they do not feel like they are being tested. Our technology automatically switches from the placement test to coursework when your child is ready and they will not be able to notice the difference.
The questions and puzzles we use are all proven techniques for teaching math concepts and children learn by solving them. If for some reason you feel that the testing is either too hard or too easy for your child, please contact us (support@elephantlearning.com) and we will be happy to work with you to get your student properly placed in the curriculum.
How much does Elephant Learning cost?
A subscription to Elephant Learning is $35 per month. This allows you to register up to three children (immediate family only please) at sign up. If your family is larger, just contact us and we can manually enroll them as we want to make sure your entire family can benefit from targeted, customized mathematics education.
Our partners at Math Matters - a non-profit dedicated to mathematics education - provide scholarships on an “as needed” basis that can lower the monthly tuition to just $10 per month. To learn more and apply for an Elephant Learning scholarship, please visit https://mathmatters.io/scholarships.
Does Elephant Learning offer a free trial?
Elephant Learning offers a three day free trial. On the following day, your account will be charged for the monthly tuition subscription, which will continue to be charged each month going forward.
If you cancel prior to the end of the three day free trial period, you will not be charged. If you cancel after the free trial period ends, you will be able to use the app for the remainder of your current month. After that, you will not be charged again.
Does Elephant Learning require a contract? What is the minimum term?
There is no contract to use Elephant Learning, and there is no minimum term of use. You may cancel your monthly subscription at any time. When you cancel, you will be allowed to use the app for the duration of your current billed month.
There are several ways to cancel your subscription. You can use the “Cancel” button within the Plan and Payments tab (found under the Manage Account menu), or you can email us at support@elephantlearning.com.
If you purchased a subscription through a reseller (i.e., not directly from our website or the app store) you may have prepaid for a longer term and you must honor the agreement made with them. If you have any questions about this, please email us at support@elephantlearning.com.
Does Elephant Learning offer scholarships?
Elephant Learning is committed to every child being able to learn mathematics and, as a result, we have partnered with Math Matters to make scholarships available to our students. You can apply for a scholarship at https://mathmatters.io/scholarships.
Scholarships are awarded based on need and through an online application, you will be notified instantly if you have qualified for a scholarship.
If you feel that the award was somehow unfair or that you should have received a scholarship, please email us at support@elephantlearning.com, and we will have Math Matters review your application manually.
We believe that a lack of financial resources shouldn’t prohibit any child from learning math and we hope you’ll consider applying for a scholarship if it will help you access Elephant Learning for your child.
How does the Elephant Learning guarantee work?
The average student in our system learns 1.5 years of math in ten weeks. Based on that data, we guarantee your child will learn at least one year of math in three months if they use the system thirty minutes per week.
After three months of weekly usage, if your child’s Elephant Age has not improved by at least one year, please contact us and we will either (a) refund your subscription fees for the last three months or (b) work with you to find a way for your child to work within our system.
In fact, if you feel your child isn’t progressing or if you are having any issues, please contact us at support@elephantlearning.com so that we can assist you. We are happy to look at how your child is using the app and review the testing and game play data to better understand where your child is struggling. We are happy to provide advice, recommendations, and tutoring as necessary to help your child.
We believe that given our guarantee, there is absolutely no risk to you trying Elephant Learning for at least three months.
What does it mean to "Learn 1 Year of Math in Three Months"?
When we say that we guarantee that your child will learn one year of math in just three months, we mean that your child's understanding of their teacher will increase by one year. Mathematics is a language, and much of the frustration and anxiety around it is related to misunderstandings about that language.
Our application teaches this language conceptually, and helps students to understand what their teachers are talking about. By learning this language, students will be able to understand what their teachers are talking about, which will allow them to understand those topics better.
For example, suppose that a student started at a first-grade level of mathematics. After using our system for three months, they would be able to understand the concepts being used in a second-grade classroom. They would be able to learn alongside those students, because they would be able to connect the terms being used to concepts they have seen in our application.
Does Elephant Learning comply with Common Core?
Our system is not Common Core.
Common Core is an academic standard. We are compatible and aligned with Common Core in that we teach mathematics conceptually (which is what Common Core, as a standard, aims to accomplish). However, Common Core tends to alienate and confuse parents as it is not the way they learned mathematics growing up.
We believed that parents are an important part of the “learning math” equation (forgive us for the pun) and have designed a system that teaches children math without confusing parents in the process. Our curriculum covers everything from counting to algebra - with plenty of topic areas in between. If your child is under the age of 16 and/or working on any math subject that is traditionally taught prior to calculus, we will be able to help.
Does Elephant Learning support the standards in my state?
Yes! Because we teach mathematics conceptually, we are 100% compatible with all math standards and curriculums around the world.
I am a teacher. Can I use Elephant Learning in my classroom?
Elephant Learning is designed to significantly enhance and support classroom learning. There are currently three ways to use Elephant Learning in the classroom.
Track Individual Student Learning: A parent can share their child’s Dashboard access with you, so you can see a student’s progress in real time including their Current Elephant Age, Completed Subjects of Study, Active Subjects of Study, Playtime Statistics (on a Subject by Subject basis), and Milestone Completion Markers.
Track a Cohort of Students: If several of your students are using Elephant Learning, you can view their individual or collective progress and subjects of study so as to more easily assign study partners and in-class project partners.
Track a Classroom of Students: If all of your students are using Elephant Learning then you can view their progress as individuals, custom cohorts, or an entire class. This can help with identifying topics for additional coverage in the classroom setting or to benchmark classroom instruction across a wide sample set using very specific criteria.
If you have any questions about classroom use or would like to suggest additional ways for incorporating Elephant Learning into your classroom teaching activities, please contact us at support@elephantlearning.com.
If you have students using Elephant Learning, and you’ve been invited to access their Dashboard or track their progress, please contact us at support@elephantlearning.com for a demo and training on how to do this effectively and efficiently (we know teachers are very busy!).
If you would like to arrange for a series of scholarships for students in your classroom to begin using Elephant Learning, please contact us at support@elephantlearning.com.
How to login as a student?
Students may login via a url or a QR code, both of which are provided when you select "Login Tokens" from the menu. If you scan the QR code on your device or browser, the system will not allow that student access the Login Tokens, Manage Account, or any other student's profile. That makes it impossible for one student to accidentally play as another student.
You may login as normal, and when you do this, all student profiles are presented.
How do I reset a student or give them a new assignment?
After enrollment, an optional configuration screen appears allowing you to change the default initial assignments for children.
One can also set a new assignment for a student by clicking on "Manage Account", clicking on "Students" tab, and using the "Change Assignment" link under each student. If you missed setting the initial assignment during optional configuration then you may use this method as well.
How does the Placement Exam work?
Elephant Learning's placement exam is a test out mode. We assign subjects and ask the most challenging questions from each subject. If the child answers all questions correctly we open up new subjects also in test out mode. If they answer incorrectly or skip we assign that subject. Because of that, the longer your student is in the placement exam, the better it is for them as it means they are further along.
It is important that skipping in our system, especially during the placement exam, be reserved for questions that are too challenging. Our system will treat it similarly to answering incorrectly. If a child encounters a question that is too difficult during the placement exam, it is better for them to skip and receive a review than to power through as reviews tend to go quickly.
You can determine if any subject is in test out mode on the Dashboard, it will have a star next to it's name. Because of the way the placement exam works, it may take longer for some students and that is great because it means they are further along. Usage during the placement exam should match what you want them to do for coursework. Recommended usage is 10 minutes a day, 3 days a week.
The placement exam was intended to be seamless to coursework for the children so that they do not feel like they are being tested. We will automatically switch to coursework when all subjects are out of test out mode and they will not be able to tell the difference. The puzzles are all activities that were proven to teach math concepts, and children learn by solving them.
Sometimes, children answer incorrectly or skip accidentally during the placement exam. If that happens, you can put any one subject back into test out mode from the dashboard. Click on the subject, and you will see a button that says Test Out. This is a great way to have them continue right where they left off.
If you have helped your child during the placement exam or you need them to retake the exam for any reason, you can do this by logging in via web browser and going to Manage Account > Students. If you want to remove the old data, you may remove the student and add them back. When you do they will be assigned the default placement exam for their age. To set the correct assignment (regardless of whether you removed them) you may click Change Assignment and choose the assignment that best fits their level. If it says placement exam or assessment it will assign the subjects in test out mode. IT IS IMPORTANT to ensure that the placement exam starts behind their level so that we are catching up to them rather than having them fail back to their level.
What is the Elephant Age?
The Elephant Age is the average age a child is doing the same mathematics outside of our system. We created this to make a simple metric for a parent to determine how their child is doing. We also provide detailed reports that allow you to understand what your children understand and what they are working on currently along with activities that you can do outside of our system to help accelerate learning even further.
How do I use Elephant Learning?
Have your children use the system 10 minutes a day, 3 days a week. They can play more or less depending on the child, and we do not recommend going over 60 minutes per week in order to prevent burn out. The gamification is NOT the same as having a game and for children these problems are hard and require a lot of concentration and focus and so if your child becomes fatigued do not force them to use the system, allow them to rest and try again the next day.
Once your child has completed the placement exam and we have found their initial level, we will assign a starting Elephant Age and the reports become accurate. The best way to use the tool is to allow the system to evaluate the child without interference and then to provide support outside of the system.
Can I help my child with the problems?
Giving very pointed hints that help the children figure out how to solve the problem have been shown to be extremely useful, while giving the answer has been shown to not be helpful. When given the answer, children may not understand the concept and will move forward, but the system will move them back when they do not understand the more complex concepts built on top of the missing concept.
If you wish to help your children, the best way is to use the reports on the dashboard to understand what your children are working on within the app and to use the activities that we provide to help exhibit the mathematics outside of the system. The best way to use the tool is to allow the system to evaluate the child without interference and then to provide support outside of the system.