Ready for Back to School: Assignment Feature on Happy Numbers
Happy Numbers is already preparing for the 2023-24 school year with an Assignment feature for teachers! This new feature allows teachers to assign tasks focused on particular skills for extra practice and instruction, as well as quick assessments for individual students or groups.
By combining Happy Numbers’ automated individual learning paths with teacher-selected assignments in the instructional process, teachers can provide a personalized learning experience that meets the unique needs of each student. This approach can help increase student engagement and achievement, while also supporting overall growth and development.
Here are some ways that teachers can effectively integrate the Assignment feature:
- Targeted practice. Direct students to work on the topic you are covering in class.
- Differentiation. Teachers can group students based on their level of understanding and assign tasks to them accordingly. For example, students who are struggling can be grouped together for targeted instruction, while more advanced students can work independently on more challenging assignments.
- Conduct assessments. Teachers can use assignments to identify and double-check each student's individual strengths and areas for improvement. It may be helpful before introducing a new topic in class which requires some prerequisite knowledge as well.
- Assign personalized tasks. Teachers can assign tasks that are tailored to each student's learning path. By combining our Skills Report tool and Assignments, teachers can provide students with opportunities to work on skills that they need to develop.
- Provide feedback. Using detailed reports in Assignments, teachers can provide regular feedback to students and their parents about the student's progress and learning path. This feedback can be used to reinforce positive behaviors, correct misconceptions, and motivate students to continue working toward their learning goals.
What is the content?
Our new Assignment feature is accompanied by exclusive content specifically designed for it. While the topics remain the same as the usual learning path, the tasks are tailored to enhance specific skills. We have already included all the necessary skills from Kindergarten to Grade 2, and we plan to cover the remaining skills up to Grade 5 by the end of the next academic year.
Teachers have several options for differentiation to meet the needs of all students in class. Any skill from any grade can be assigned to any student or group of students. Each skill comes with two types of tasks, namely guided practice and practice, enabling students who haven't mastered a skill to receive step-by-step instruction. Additionally, assignments can be strengthened with practice tasks to ensure students grasp the concept.
How it works:
Convenient groupings. Happy Numbers groups students according to their grade level, so it’s easy to assign tasks to students of different levels.
Predictable time span of assignments. Choose the time period that suits your current need: extensive practice or a short exit test. We have calculated the median time of completing the task, so you can better plan your instruction.
Focus on assignments in the student account. You can be sure that students work on the task you have assigned them. A student’s individual learning path on Happy Numbers is blocked until the assignment is done.
Helpful prompts and support. Students are provided with instant feedback and step-by-step instructions when mistakes occur, just like in the usual Happy Numbers content.
No pressure. If we see that students continue to struggle with a skill, Happy Numbers will cancel the task automatically.
Detailed reports. These help teachers identify areas of strength and weakness for each student, allowing them to provide targeted support where needed. For your convenience, we’ve added the same intervention alert we use in other reports on Happy Numbers.
What’s next?
First, we’ll cover all skills up to Grade 5 so teachers have a powerful tool to adjust and reinforce their instruction.
Then, we’ll enhance our reports by providing a more detailed breakdown of data for each task and grouping students based on their skill mastery level. This upgrade will equip teachers to quickly and efficiently create groups for intervention and extra practice.
The next step will be integrating assignments into our Skills Report to provide better recommendations for students requiring additional practice to master specific skills.
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