His teachers were working hard to differentiate instruction and to find high-quality resources that could meet students where they were academically, Dennison says. The school also wanted more opportunities for students to build fluency and confidence, and he was looking for a program that was more than practice.

A neighboring school district had a strong implementation support process and had seen student growth with Happy Numbers, Dennison says. The program stood out to him because it provides personalized learning paths, emphasizes mathematical thinking rather than just memorization, and gives teachers actionable data. He felt it aligned well with the school’s instructional goals and its existing curriculum.

At Wethersfield, students use Happy Numbers during intervention blocks and for independent practice. They work at their own level and get immediate feedback, Dennison says.

In third grade, Erin Wyffels has used the program every day in both of her school years at Wethersfield. She can’t speak to what it was like before the school started Happy Numbers, she says, but “all I know is that the students are building fluency and confidence as a result of their daily practice.”

Her students spend 10 to 12 minutes a day on the program, working toward a weekly time goal she sets for them. “Many times students ask to keep working even after their time target for the day has been reached,” she says.

Several times during the math block, Wyffels says, students call out “I did this on Happy Numbers” or “I’m doing this on Happy Numbers.” “I know the students are making connections and reinforcing their understanding of the math concepts,” she adds.

Happy Numbers has become a valuable supplemental instructional tool for our teachers, Dennison says. The reporting features let teachers quickly see the specific skills that need more attention, he says, and intervention time is more targeted and effective.

Every month a data report is shared, he says, and he and the teachers set aside time to analyze and discuss it.

“According to our Happy Numbers growth report, we saw students meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations increase from 26 percent to 81 percent,” he says.

The share of students in grades 2–4 meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations moved from 26% to 81% by the end of the year. 

Classrooms that consistently met their weekly usage goals saw the greatest growth, he says, with second graders averaging 1.4 grade levels and third graders 1.3.

Dennison thinks district leadership has been very supportive. Its leaders appreciate seeing clear evidence of student growth, he says, and value programs that align with the school’s improvement goals.

The impact on students’ confidence and perseverance surprised Dennison most, he says. Students who had seen themselves as not good at math began to experience success and to develop a growth mindset. “It’s really rewarding watching students build confidence and that willingness to tackle challenging tasks,” he says.

“My students love it and I love that they are growing their math brains as a result,” Wyffels says.

Dennison would encourage a principal or district leader considering Happy Numbers to view it as a tool that complements strong classroom instruction. “When it’s implemented with fidelity, paired with that quality teaching, it really accelerates student growth, especially for students who do need that additional support,” he says.