IXL Learning was founded in 1998 when we released Quia Web, the first website that allowed teachers and learners to create and share customized study materials. The initial version featured three formats: a matching game, a concentration game and flash cards. Soon after, quizzes were added, along with a dozen 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.
Our mission, since then, 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 weren't much more than 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 instruction, Quia Books allow publishers to mix and match closed-ended, computer-scorable questions with open-ended questions that are gradable by students' actual instructors. 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 math in 2007, when we introduced IXL, a groundbreaking platform and curriculum for K—12 math education. IXL delivers a deeply engaging learning experience and covers more than 4000 distinct maths topics. Questions are algorithmically generated, meaning students will never see the same question twice no matter how long they practise. Following the success of our math launch, we expanded IXL to include English language arts in 2013, offering unlimited, targeted practice of grammar, spelling and vocabulary. For teachers, IXL provides unparalleled insight into student performance through business-caliber 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 kids. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, ABCya provides games and apps for students in junior kindergarten to grade 6 that focus on math and English language arts, 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.