Peavley oversees the K–5 students and teachers, and Lauren Morrison, the school’s director of academics, oversees instruction from kindergarten through 12th grade. The school was looking for a program that met students’ needs and that students would enjoy using. It wanted to get away from the workbook feeling, Peavley says, and when it started exploring, Happy Numbers looked like a good fit.

Morrison says the school chose Happy Numbers because it assessed students where they were and gave a benchmark, and it also taught concepts. The adaptive learning path and the conceptual approach, with its visual models and manipulatives, seemed promising, she says.

“It actually teaches instead of just assessing,” one of her colleagues said, according to Peavley.

Examples of on-screen manipulatives first graders use in Happy Numbers.

Each classroom uses Happy Numbers a little differently, Morrison says, whether in a center rotation, in intervention blocks, during independent work time, or with early finishers.

Many teachers use it during intervention, where it keeps students productive with very little redirection and lets teachers focus on targeted instruction without constant interruptions. Morrison says that is probably one of the program’s most valuable benefits for teachers. Its data also shows them where their students are struggling and helps them make instructional decisions. The program supports differentiation without adding to teachers’ planning.

Several teachers noticed that students became more independent, Peavley says, more confident with problem-solving and with following directions on their own.

One of the biggest shifts the school has noticed is in students’ confidence, Peavley says. “They’re willing to take risks.” The program’s adaptive design motivated students, she says, because they could experience success along the way even while they were being challenged. She thinks teachers were surprised by how quickly students fell in love with the program.

Students connected classroom lessons with what they were learning and practicing in Happy Numbers, she says, and that familiarity gave them confidence when they learned new concepts in class. One teacher shared a story about a student who solved higher-level division problems because they had already encountered those concepts in Happy Numbers.

Morrison says teachers have reported stronger number sense and a deeper understanding of math concepts. In 2025–26, the share of those students meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations rose from 40 percent to 91 percent, she says. They used the program about 45 minutes a week.

The share of K–5 students meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations moved from 40% to 91% by the end of the year.

The most growth came from students who started the year below grade level, Morrison says. Teachers can use the program’s repetition to target students who are struggling.

“The return on investment has been very strong,” Morrison says. She points to students’ growth and confidence and to the independent learning that helps teachers use instructional time more efficiently. “Not even a question if we were going to renew Happy Numbers here at Grace.”