The research behind ZillyPlanet
ZillyPlanet is built around a simple belief: children need stronger STEM confidence earlier, and they need to understand how learning connects to real-world problem solving.
We started with math for grades 2-8, then we are growing towards science, technology, and engineering learning experiences that help students build confidence, reasoning, and future-ready thinking.
Why math confidence matters.
Math is more than a school subject. It helps students build logic, pattern recognition, reasoning, measurement, comparison, and problem-solving habits.
Strong math confidence can support future learning in science, technology, engineering, data, design, and everyday decision-making.
Job Growth
8.1%
Jobs connected to math, science, technology, and engineering are projected to grow faster than the overall job market.
Grade 4 to Grade 8 Benchmarks
39% to 28%
Many students are not reaching strong national math benchmarks.
Why students need deeper learning.
Many students can memorize steps but struggle when a problem changes.
ZillyPlanet is designed to help students understand the concept, explore strategies, apply learning in context, and build toward mastery.
The goal is to help students move from answer-getting to problem-solving.
Memorization-heavy practice
Repeat the step
Find the answer
Move on
Deeper learning
Explore the idea
Apply the skill
Explain the strategy
Build mastery
Why future-ready skills start earlier.
The skills students will need are changing quickly. Employers expect a large share of workers' core skills to change by 2030.
Children need to build flexible thinking, curiosity, problem solving, communication, and the ability to work with technology thoughtfully.
ZillyPlanet introduces those habits through age-appropriate math missions, not career pressure.
Future Skills Needed:
Reasoning
Problem solving
Communication
Adaptability
Data awareness
AI-ready thinking
Why real-world context helps.
Students are more likely to engage when learning feels useful and connected to something they care about.
ZillyPlanet uses interest-based missions to help students practice grade-level math inside scenarios that feel meaningful.
Sports Science
STANDARD
5.MD.B.2: Make a line plot with fractional measurements and use fraction operations to solve problems.
EXAMPLE MISSION
Training Tracker Mission: A soccer team records sprint improvement times in fractions of a second. The student builds a line plot to see which drill helped the most.
EXAMPLE QUESTION
The team recorded sprint improvements of 1/4, 1/2, 1/2, 3/4, 1/4, 1, 3/4, and 1/2 seconds. Create a line plot. How many players improved by 1/2 second or more, and what is their total improvement?
WHAT THE STUDENT DOES
Reads sports data, builds a line plot, compares results, adds fractions, and explains which training results look strongest.
Animal Care
WHAT THE STUDENT DOES
3.MD.C.7: Relate area to multiplication and addition.
EXAMPLE MISSION
Habitat Design Mission: A rescue center needs a safe play space for rabbits. The student breaks the habitat into rectangles to find the total area.
EXAMPLE QUESTION
A rabbit play space has two sections. One section is 4 feet by 3 feet. The second section is 2 feet by 3 feet. What is the total area of the play space?
WHAT THE STUDENT DOES
Uses area models, multiplies side lengths, adds two rectangle areas, and decides if the habitat has enough room.
Food Science
WHAT THE STUDENT DOES
Memorization-heavy practice
EXAMPLE MISSION
Recipe Scaling Mission: Zilly’s crew needs snack packs for a mission. Each pack uses 3/4 cup of trail mix, and the student calculates how much is needed for 8 packs.
EXAMPLE QUESTION
Each snack pack needs 3/4 cup of trail mix. Zilly’s crew needs 8 snack packs. How many cups of trail mix are needed in all?
WHAT THE STUDENT DOES
Uses visual fraction models, multiplies a fraction by a whole number, scales a recipe, and checks if the total amount makes sense.
Why early exposure matters.
Students benefit when math, science, technology, and engineering feel connected to the world around them. A national report found that only 21% of self-contained elementary classes taught science all or most days every week.
Early exposure helps children see that learning is not just something they do for a grade. It is something they can use to build, test, design, compare, plan, and solve.
ZillyPlanet starts with math and connects concepts to real-world pathways such as sports, animals, cooking, robotics, ocean science, creative design, and building.
Why quality screen time matters.
Families are surrounded by screens. The question is not only how much screen time children have, but what that time is doing.
ZillyPlanet makes screen time active, focused, and connected to learning progress.
Students are:
Solving problems
Exploring strategies
Using hints
Retrying with support
Building mastery
Connecting learning to real life
Why parents need visibility.
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Parents often want to help but do not always know what their child is learning or where support is needed.
ZillyPlanet gives parents standard-level visibility, progress details, and simple off-screen activity ideas that connect to the concept.
Parents do not need to learn the full strategy from the lesson. They get practical ways to reinforce confidence at home.
Why educators need flexible support.
Classrooms include students with different confidence levels, learning speeds, interests, and support needs.
ZillyPlanet gives educators adaptive practice, engaging missions, and progress visibility that can support independent practice, small groups, enrichment, and intervention.
Designed for different ways of learning.
Some students need visuals. Some need hints. Some need more time. Some need the concept to feel useful before it clicks.
ZillyPlanet supports different learners through visual explanations, guided practice, adaptive missions, and interest-based contexts.
The goal is to help students stay engaged without feeling rushed, stuck, or overwhelmed.
Visual learning
Step-by-step hints
Flexible practice
Interest-based missions
Mistake-friendly feedback
Parent visibility
The evidence-informed ZillyPlanet approach.
ZillyPlanet brings these ideas together in one learning model:
Start with grade-level math
Introduce the concept clearly
Let students explore strategies
Personalize missions by interest
Use hints, retries, and explanations
Build toward mastery
Give parents and educators clear visibility
Connect learning to future-ready thinking
