When it comes to math fact fluency, practice is key. But every teacher knows that maintaining consistency can be challenging, especially during a packed classroom day.
That’s why ExploreLearning launched Reflex Competitions, a new Reflex math feature designed to drive math fact fluency success through structured, goal-based engagement. And the winning results are in:
- Increased student logins
- More high-quality practice sessions
- And positive feedback from teachers nationwide
Competitions bring nationwide excitement
Between October and mid-December 2024, nearly one-third of all schools with an active Reflex subscription launched at least one classroom competition. That’s over 2,800 schools and more than 215,000 students who experienced the excitement and motivation of friendly competition during math fact fluency practice.
Since then, participation has kept climbing, highlighting how well Reflex Competitions connect with teachers and students alike.
Driving daily math fact fluency engagement
From serving aliens ice cream to piloting a hot air balloon, Reflex helps students develop fact fluency while staying engaged with fast-paced games that don’t feel like work.
Reflex uses the Green Light as a key motivator for students, illuminating once a student correctly answers a certain number of facts on a given day. Getting the Green Light indicates that a student has completed a meaningful practice session. During a Reflex Competition, the class with the greatest average number of Green Light Days during the competition duration wins!
But do Reflex Competitions actually increase student usage? The ExploreLearning research team's deeper dive revealed standout results that speak for themselves.
Students were significantly more likely to log in and use Reflex during an active Reflex Competition.
While baseline usage hovered around 33–42%, students actively competing in competitions had a 63% chance of using Reflex on any given school day—an 89% increase in daily logins.
Reflex Competitions helped transform Reflex from a routine activity into a daily goal that students were eager to meet.
More Green Lights, more fluency gains
Reflex Competitions not only improve the frequency of logins, but also the quality of each math fact practice session.
Research found that students who used Reflex with high fidelity, achieving the Green Light in the majority of usage sessions, were 7.4x more likely to reach 100% fluency levels compared to students who did not use Reflex with high fidelity.
Comparing data from the same period the previous year:
Schools with no Reflex Competitions had nearly identical Green Light rates in 2023 and 2024.
Students participating in Reflex Competitions increased their Green Light achievement from 48% to nearly 64%, a substantial increase in fidelity of use.
Competitions resulted in more than just higher usage—they led to better usage, which means faster growth in math fluency and better long-term outcomes for students' success in math.
More logins + better use = Stronger Reflex engagement
Looking across the full Reflex Competition period through February, researchers observed a 94% increase in total Green Light days for students who participated in at least one classroom competition. This reflects the combined effect of more logins and better practice sessions, reinforcing Reflex’s goal of helping students build fluency more efficiently and effectively.
Teachers agree: Reflex Competitions work
Teachers echoed the success with equally enthusiastic feedback. In a recent survey, 85% of teachers who used Reflex Competitions expressed their satisfaction and rated their likelihood to use again as 4/5 or 5/5.
Teachers reported increased excitement, motivation, and consistent usage from their students. Many teachers shared stories of students cheering each other on and eagerly watching leaderboard updates. This engagement and excitement led to measurable improvements in outcomes.
Discover Real-Life Competitions Success
Competitions improved student engagement, motivation, and performance
Expanding the power of friendly competitions
Following the success of Reflex Competitions, ExploreLearning launched classroom math competitions for Frax, the adaptive and game-based fractions program. Frax Competitions allow students to develop a foundational understanding of fractions as they complete space-themed missions.
Reflex and Frax Competitions also include new features for administrators, making it easy to facilitate and monitor competitions between multiple classes. The administrator dashboard is a helpful tool to celebrate math success on campuses, from shoutouts on the morning announcements to bulletin boards, newsletter spotlights, class party incentives, and more.
These enhancements have allowed the ExploreLearning team to scale the impact of Competitions to support deeper engagement, stronger outcomes, and more fun in math learning.
Boost math fact fluency in your classroom with Reflex Competitions
Reflex Competitions are more than just a game. They’re a powerful tool for driving meaningful learning. With increased logins, higher Green Light rates, and glowing feedback from teachers, this classroom tool is already transforming how students build math fact fluency. And students are just getting started!
By turning purposeful practice into an exciting challenge, you can engage your students in effective and engaging math fact practice with learning that doesn’t feel like work. Try Reflex today and experience the difference yourself!
Reflex and Frax Competitions are available for teachers with a full product subscription. Please contact our team to learn more about bringing the competitive math edge to your classroom!