New research has shown that children who use Doodle Learning’s maths programmes for as little as ten minutes a day can accelerate their progress by 79%, offering a powerful tool for tackling widespread low numeracy and maths anxiety across the UK. The finding, drawn from a study of more than 60,000 pupils, comes as National Numeracy Day (Wednesday 20 May 2026) highlights the need to build confidence with numbers — a skill that millions of adults and children still lack, with lasting effects on financial management, job prospects and everyday life.
How ten minutes a day makes a difference
The research, conducted by Doodle Learning’s parent company Discovery Education, involved more than 60,000 children and found that those who used Doodle “little and often” each day accelerated their maths progress by 79%. The study underlines the scale of the challenge National Numeracy Day seeks to address: low numeracy remains a significant issue in the UK, with a recognised “maths anxiety” affecting both pupils and educators. Research cited in the briefing also points to a gender confidence gap, with girls often reporting lower enjoyment of maths from a younger age, partly because teachers believe they work more cautiously to avoid mistakes, and partly due to persistent stereotypes and prejudices.
Official bodies have also flagged persistent attainment gaps. Ofsted’s July 2023 report, “Coordinating Mathematical Success”, noted that while the quality of maths education has broadly improved, a significant gap remains between the highest and lowest achievers, and between advantaged and disadvantaged learners. The problem is compounded during long breaks: summer learning loss — sometimes known as “summer slide” — can see pupils lose between one and three months of maths ability, with disadvantaged students hit hardest.
Charity Lisko, Vice President for International Product, Curriculum and Content at Discovery Education, said: “National Numeracy Day is a valuable opportunity to encourage positive attitudes towards maths and help children build confidence with numbers. At Discovery Education we are committed to supporting teachers and families with engaging tools that make maths enjoyable, accessible and relevant both in the classroom and at home.”
Personalised learning and gamification that builds confidence
Doodle Learning’s approach is designed to tackle these issues head-on. The programmes — which cover Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to Key Stage 2 (children aged 4–14) — are curriculum-aligned and built by teachers. Their core feature is adaptive learning technology that identifies each child’s individual level and sets work within their “Zone of Proximal Development”, ensuring tasks are neither too easy nor too hard. By rewarding effort over ability, the system lets every child work independently, helping even the least confident learners to develop a genuine love of maths.
The two award-winning maths apps highlighted are DoodleMaths, which creates a personalised work programme using targeted practice and encouragement, and DoodleTables, an interactive times tables app that uses games and activities to improve fluency and recall. Both are accessible offline and across smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops, meaning children can learn anywhere, anytime. Doodle Learning also offers literacy programmes — DoodleEnglish and DoodleSpell — that apply the same adaptive methods to reading, writing, phonics, grammar and spelling, aligned to the National Curriculum for KS1 and KS2.
Gamification is central to the model, incorporating game elements to sustain engagement and motivation — a trend increasingly recognised in UK education, with the government investing in artificial intelligence and digital tools to personalise learning. Doodle’s technology lightens teacher workload by automating personalised programmes and providing data-driven insights into pupil progress, directly addressing the Department for Education’s emphasis on coherence and progression in mathematics.
Discovery Education, which acquired DoodleLearning in August 2022, is a global edtech leader founded in 1997, now with its UK and international headquarters in Bath. At the time of the acquisition, Nicola Chilman, then CEO and co-founder of DoodleLearning, said the team was “excited to join Discovery Education’s efforts to build and scale a powerful edtech ecosystem.” Scott Kinney, CEO of Discovery Education, added: “This acquisition is an important milestone in that effort, and we look forward to both partnering with the talented DoodleLearning team and scaling the reach of their innovative, adaptive math and English language arts products.”
Doodle’s programmes have now been used by more than one million children in the UK and globally, earning multiple awards for reducing teacher workload and boosting numeracy outcomes.
To help combat summer learning loss and keep children engaged with maths (and English) during the holidays, Discovery Education is offering schools a special deal: schools can buy a Doodle subscription now and delay payment until September. The offer includes access to Doodle’s popular Summer Challenge, which encourages children to keep learning through short, regular sessions. Full details are available at doodlelearning.com/for-schools/summer-offer.
