IXL Learning Acquires ABCya, Expands Its Game-Based Learning Offerings

ABCya's engaging educational games complement IXL's approach to personalized learning

San Mateo, CA /PRNewswire/ - Today, IXL Learning, the K-12 personalized learning platform used by 7 million students, announced it has acquired ABCya, the creator of more than 400 educational computer games and apps for kids. Both IXL Learning and ABCya are focused on inspiring learners by providing captivating educational content and an effective online learning experience that benefits students, parents and teachers alike.

"IXL and ABCya's views on education are perfectly aligned: we both put students' needs first, develop creative ways to make learning engaging, and are committed to producing the highest-quality products," said Paul Mishkin, CEO of IXL Learning. "Together, we will provide an enriching learning experience through IXL's unique approach to personalized learning and ABCya's dynamic educational games."

Since 2004, ABCya has provided students from pre-K to 5th grade with access to hundreds of educational games and apps. To date, ABCya has reached more than 120 million learners who have played more than 1.5 billion games. In addition to math and language arts, ABCya also covers topics such as science and holiday trivia, and provides fun activities to help kids improve typing skills and even create animations. Notable games and apps from ABCya include:

Pecking Order: Featuring whimsical penguins, owls, parrots and more, this game challenges students to practice number values with fractions, percents and decimals.

MathBINGO: With more than 1.3 million downloads since its release in 2010, the MathBINGO app includes lively music, colorful visuals and playful characters that keep kids entertained as they practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

ABCya Paint: Kids draw, color and paint on a blank canvas, using multiple tools such as brushes, stamps, text and more to create their own masterpieces.

Hydro Logic: In this activity, kids are challenged to use their knowledge of the water cycle to solve various puzzles.

"Our mission at ABCya is to build fun games that make kids light up when they learn something new," said Lisa Tortolani, CEO of ABCya. "I'm proud to align our brand with a company that is similarly dedicated to helping kids learn. This merger brings together IXL's focused, mastery-based learning with our enriching, one-of-a-kind games. Students need both types of experiences to succeed, and I can't imagine them using one without the other!"

Over the last 10 years, IXL Learning has built an integrated learning solution that makes it easier than ever for teachers to personalize learning. IXL's comprehensive curriculum and guidance, Continuous Diagnostic and real-time Analytics work together seamlessly to empower teachers to differentiate instruction and help all students reach their full potential. Currently, IXL is used by 7 million U.S. students and trusted by schools in 95 of the 100 top districts.

The addition of ABCya, based in Providence, Rhode Island, allows IXL Learning to expand its presence on the U.S. East Coast. IXL Learning is headquartered in San Mateo, California, with a second office in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Media, please note: Screenshots of IXL may be downloaded at www.ixl.com/press/media-resources. For demos of IXL and ABCya or screenshots of ABCya, please contact press@ixl.com.

About IXL Learning
IXL Learning is dedicated to creating innovative learning experiences. Currently used by 1 in 9 students in the U.S. and by schools in 95 of the 100 top districts, IXL is an integrated learning platform that effectively supports personalized learning in math, English language arts, science, social studies and Spanish. Built on comprehensive K-12 curriculum and guidance, actionable real-time Analytics and the IXL Continuous Diagnostic, IXL gives teachers the tools they need to differentiate instruction and help students achieve mastery. To learn more about IXL, visit www.ixl.com, facebook.com/IXL and twitter.com/IXLLearning.

About ABCya
ABCya is the leader in educational games for kids. The brainchild of a public school teacher, ABCya is an award-winning destination for elementary students that offers hundreds of fun, engaging learning activities. Over the past year, more than 120 million users in over 150 countries have visited ABCya and have played over 1.5 billion games. To learn more about ABCya, visit www.abcya.com, facebook.com/ABCyaGames and twitter.com/ABCyaGames.