Adaptive learning software for primary maths explained
What adaptive learning software for primary maths adjusts, how to tell how far the adaptation goes, and which settings stay with the teacher.
In brief: Adaptive learning software adjusts tasks to what a child has shown so far, usually the difficulty, sometimes also the order or the kind of help. You can tell how far the adaptation goes by checking whether the program also responds to the type of error. In Mazio Math, the difficulty adapts to each child’s previous work, even when the whole class is working on the same unit. The teacher decides what the class works on.
“Adaptive” now appears on almost every learning app. This article explains to teachers what can lie behind the term, how you can check it when trying a program out and which decisions should stay with the teacher. It then describes how adaptation works in Mazio Math. We are the provider of Mazio Math.
What “adaptive” can mean in learning software
Software can adapt at different points. The differences are large, even though all providers use the same word.
| Form of adaptation | What changes | How you recognise it when trying it out |
|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Easier or harder variants of the same task | After several correct answers, the numbers get larger or the tasks involve more steps |
| Repetition | Content that has not been practised for a while comes back | A topic the child solved confidently reappears after some time |
| Response to the type of error | A typical wrong answer is followed by matching help or a matching task | Two different wrong answers lead to different feedback |
| Order and learning path | The program suggests the next topic | Learning paths differ between children |
| Help | Help is offered in stages | First a prompt to think, then more specific help |
If a program adapts only the difficulty, based on right and wrong, that is useful, but it reveals little about why a child is getting calculations wrong. A program that also pays attention to the type of error can support a child with a place value error differently from a child who has simply made a slip.
One provider, for example, describes its offer as an adaptive practice system that “automatically adapts to the pupils’ level of learning”, with individual error analysis (bettermarks homepage, as of November 2026; quotation translated from German). According to the provider, it is aimed at school years 3 to 13.
What should stay with the teacher
The pedagogical decision stays with the teacher. Make sure that, as the teacher, you can decide three things yourself:
- What the class works on. The topic of the week should come from your teaching.
- How strongly the program adapts. Sometimes the whole class should work at the same level, for example when a topic is introduced.
- How results are used. An automatic classification is an aid to observation. It is not a mark.
Also ask the provider which rules the adaptation follows when it makes decisions. Fixed, transparent rules can be explained, both to colleagues and to parents.
How Mazio Math adapts the tasks
What is adapted. In Mazio Math, the difficulty adapts to the child’s previous work. Whether an answer is correct is only one factor. Mazio Math also pays attention to which errors a child makes. The choice of the next task follows fixed, predefined rules.
In the three areas. Every task in Mazio Math has variants at several levels of difficulty. Even when all children have the same unit on the board, as a rule no child works on exactly the same tasks as another. The Basiscamp keeps track, for each child, of which task types they have already mastered. An exercise only counts as mastered when several tasks in a row are solved at the first attempt and without help. Content that has not been practised for a while comes up again after some time. In the Knobelbox, the teacher puts together puzzle sets and chooses “Adaptive” or a fixed level from 1 to 4 as the difficulty.
What the teacher sets. The teacher puts what the class works on onto the board. In the class settings, under “Difficulty level”, they choose between “Pupils choose”, “Adaptive (automatic)” and “Individual (set by teacher)”; with “Individual”, they give each child a fixed level of difficulty.
Suggestions with reasons. On the home page and under “Results”, Mazio Math suggests suitable content, each time with a reason, for example “Below expectation in the Knobelbox”. Mazio Math recognises a pattern and suggests suitable exercises. The teacher decides what goes on the board. Suggestions always go to the whole class; adaptive units, Basiscamp exercises and puzzle sets adapt to each child’s level.
An example from the classroom. A grade 4 class is practising written calculation methods in the Basiscamp. The teacher puts the matching sub-world for addition on the board. Children who already calculate confidently can soon get harder variants and finish quickly. Children who are still unsure can practise for longer at their level. At the end of the week, the Basiscamp evaluation shows how many tasks in each area were solved at the first attempt, and “Back on the board” suggests the sub-worlds that are not yet secure. This way the class can be challenged without the teacher having to prepare material for every ability group.
Next step. Create an account under register for free and look at the workflows on the page Mazio Math in the classroom. Registration is free for teachers. Using Mazio Math with a class is currently available to schools in Germany; if your school is in another country, registration records your interest. Mazio Math was tested in a randomised controlled study at primary schools in Germany. The page Mazio Math for teachers gives an overview.
Frequently asked questions
What does adaptive mean for learning apps?
Adaptive means that the program adjusts tasks to what a child has shown so far. Usually this concerns the difficulty, sometimes also repetition, help or order. Ask what the adaptation is based on: only on right and wrong, or also on the type of error.
Does the software decide what the children learn?
Not in Mazio Math. The teacher decides what the class works on and decides on suggestions. Within this content, the software adapts the difficulty according to fixed rules.
Can I switch the adaptation off?
In the Mazio Math app, yes. Under “Difficulty level”, choose “Pupils choose” or “Individual (set by teacher)”. In puzzle sets, choose a fixed level from 1 to 4 instead of “Adaptive”.