Helping students get themselves “unstuck”

At Home, In the Classroom

One of my biggest challenges as a fifth grade teacher was helping my students become more independent. With middle school just around the corner, I wanted my students to be able to navigate roadblocks when I wasn’t immediately available to assist them. Luckily for educators, IXL has a series of features that empower students to take learning into their own hands—even when they’re stuck:

Learn with an example

If a student is assigned a skill for homework but can’t quite remember how to tackle the concept, IXL can provide helpful direction. Students can click on the “Learn with an Example” link located above the first question in any math or English language arts skill. They’ll see a sample question and a step-by-step explanation for how to solve it.

Get step-by-step support with IXL’s explanations

When students answer a question in an IXL skill incorrectly, they get immediate feedback, including step-by-step instructions on how to find the correct answer and a reminder of key ideas for that skill. As a teacher, I made sure to model for my students how to use these explanations, so that they knew that resource was there to support them.

Self-remediate with in-skill recommendations 

Empower your students to self-remediate with IXL’s in-skill recommendations. When they’re practicing a math or language arts skill, students will see a list of building block skills at the bottom of the page. If a student gets stuck, advise them to choose one of those foundational skills to help them fill in gaps in understanding. Learners can click back as many levels as they need, and once they’re feeling more confident, they can head back to the original skill.

Provide in-the-moment support with Live Message

As independent as we teach our students to be, there are still times where they may need a nudge in the right direction. Educators can provide that with Live Message, a new feature in IXL’s Live Classroom report. Whether in or out of the classroom, you can use Live Classroom to monitor students’ progress on IXL in real time. The report alerts you when students need your attention so you can provide help the moment they need it. And with Live Message, you can send a quick message to a student to help get them back on track. Learn more about Live Message here.