Brighterly is bringing plummeting math scores back up in the US

The US math crisis has continued to deepen since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Test scores have plummeted more dramatically since 2020, particularly for kids in 8th grade upwards. In fact, 10th-grade test results dropped to their lowest-ever level in 2023.

In order to upskill an entire generation and their math knowledge, personalized learning that covers the most fundamental math concepts is key.

Entrepreneur Eugene Kashuk and his team are on a mission to improve math learning outcomes for US kids. They are tackling the deepening crisis with the online math tutoring platform Brighterly.

Why do US kids perform so poorly in math?

Test performance in math is consistently under par across the nation. But it’s not only exam results that are a pressing issue; up to a quarter of American children experience math anxiety, with some as young as six years old.

According to Eugene Kashuk, CEO and founder of Brighterly, a lack of centralization in the US education system has contributed to poor math performance and the dreaded math anxiety. He comments: “School districts make their own decisions, meaning that while there is a recommended syllabus, there are no standard math curricula across states, and only a half of districts use a common core math curriculum. And this disarray leaves kids behind.”

The answer: personalized tutoring

A consistent, nationwide curriculum is essential to leveling the playing field in US math education. Personalized support is the solution to address the millions of children who are already struggling with mathematics.

Generic tutoring without identifying the areas individual children are having issues with isn’t enough. If a child has strong geometry skills but isn’t managing to pick up algebra, more geometry education won’t help.

However, with many parents priced out of tutoring, Kashuk saw an opportunity to improve kids’ math scores: “There’s a high demand for math learning in the US, and we understand the pain points of parents wanting their kids to excel in math.”

How does Brighterly improve basic math skills?

So what is Brighterly? First and foremost, the company offers online math tutoring. In addition, it provides free worksheets, practice tests, and entire math programs to kids struggling with the subject. Its customized one-to-one sessions address gaps in kids’ knowledge to help them with math concepts they find daunting.

Brighterly reviews state that its tutors are warm, friendly, and patient, with particular praise for how they build children’s confidence in math. Children build bonds with their tutors, creating an atmosphere of trust and enthusiasm.

A bold mission is to help kids struggle with math

Brighterly’s headline mission statement is simple but powerful: to “be a torch in every kid’s math journey.”

The startup aims to help kids aged 6–13 succeed in their math journey. In a nation where one in four kids struggles with math anxiety, the importance of this mission cannot be understated.

The company’s aim is to equip all kids with this knowledge to win out in life. This is particularly important in our rapidly changing modern world. Right now in the US, over two-thirds of jobs are supported by science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and this number is only set to increase. As kids move closer to graduation, it’s expected that the number of jobs requiring strong math skills will increase by 30,000 each year.

Brighterly’s mission is not just one of academic achievements. It’s also one of social mobility, prosperity, and giving all American children, regardless of their background, the best opportunity to succeed in life.

This is especially important when children’s socioeconomic background has a strong influence on their math performance. The National Assessment of Educational Progress found that only 19% of 4th graders from a low-income background are proficient in math, in contrast to 50% of their peers from high-income homes.

Improving learning outcomes through gamification

A recent IEJME study found that children’s aversion to math stems from a number of areas, including the perception of their own ability and a lack of interest in the subject. Math is often perceived as uninteresting in comparison to more hands-on subjects like science.

Making math a more enticing and interesting prospect helps kids engage more thoroughly, and Brighterly recognized that this can be achieved via game-based learning. The company is leading the way in gamified math education.

Gamification is the integration of game elements like point systems, leaderboards, badges, or other elements related to games into “conventional” learning activities in order to increase engagement and motivation.

Through gamifying math, Brighterly is helping kids increase their interest and cement their knowledge. And this is that very element of enjoyment traditional schools lack nowadays.

Children in the US struggle with math for a myriad of reasons, from self-doubt to a lack of interest in the subject. These complex factors directly contribute to unsatisfactory performance. Brighterly math tutoring aims to change US children’s fortunes in math learning, preparing them for a bright future regardless of their background.