IXL Learning was founded in 1998 when we released Quia Web, the first website that allowed teachers and learners to create and share customised study materials. The initial version featured three formats: a matching game, a concentration game and flash cards. This was soon followed by the addition of quizzes and numerous more game types. The concept was an overnight success, and Quia Web quickly became one of the most popular education sites in the early days of the internet.
Since then, our mission has been to develop educational technologies that people can't live without—if only they existed. Our second product, Quia Books, is a highly interactive online textbook and workbook platform created specifically for language learning. Released in 2001, at a time when e-books mostly took the form of PDF readers, Quia Books supported immersive, online workbook exercises with real-time feedback and an intelligent grading system.
Combining the best of computer learning and traditional classroom teaching, Quia Books allow publishers to mix and match closed-ended, computer-scorable questions with open-ended questions that are gradable by students' actual teachers. To date, more than 450 secondary- and higher-education language textbooks have been published on the Quia Books platform. These books are used in language courses ranging from Spanish and French to Chinese, Latin and Arabic.
Our attention turned toward maths in 2007, when we introduced IXL, a groundbreaking platform and curriculum for maths education. As the world's most comprehensive maths practice programme, IXL covers more than 3000 distinct maths topics in a progression from kindergarten to year 13. All questions—even word problems—are algorithmically generated, meaning that every question is unique, and students will never see repeated questions, no matter how long they practise. Following the success of our maths launch, we expanded IXL to include English in 2013, offering unlimited, targeted practice of grammar, spelling and vocabulary. For teachers, IXL provides unparalleled insight into student performance through business-style reports and data analysis tools. IXL is now used in more than 15,000 schools as well as at home by families worldwide.
In 2018, IXL Learning acquired ABCya, the creator of over 400 educational computer games and apps for children. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, ABCya provides games and apps for students in kindergarten to year 7 that focus on maths and English, as well as topics such as science, computer skills, art and holidays. Since 2004, ABCya has reached over 122 million learners who have played more than 1.5 billion games.
IXL Learning acquired Education.com in 2019. Education.com offers 30,000 digital and printable learning resources, including worksheets, online games, hands-on activities, lesson plans, and more, for preschool through seventh grade.
Vocabulary.com, the leading vocabulary acquisition program, joined the IXL Learning family in 2020. Vocabulary.com delivers personalized instruction to close students’ word gaps and prepare them for success in the classroom and beyond. With more than 15,000 learnable words and engaging activities like Vocabulary Jams and The Challenge, discovering and mastering new words is fun and meaningful.