Math game for struggling students debuts

Today Benesse launches a new self-tutoring service called StraightAce, designed for struggling middle-school math students.

The game-like service is intended for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. Each StraightAce session includes a lesson and 10 math problems, with further explanations offered for each question. As students learn and answer math questions correctly, they earn virtual stars that are exchangeable for in-game rewards. Every grade level includes over 150 different math topics, which are all aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

As children complete math problems on the StraightAce mobile app, parents can follow and encourage their progress online through a cloud-based dashboard.

Subscription prices for the service start from $14.99 per month. StraightAce is the result of a joint development effort between Benesse America and Quipper, a learning platform developer and is compatible with iPhone, iPad and Android platforms.