Improving literacy and numeracy skills in primary schools with Lena

Across Africa, too many children progress through school without mastering numeracy and literacy skills they need to compete globally.

In 2022, 49% of Primary 3 learners and 67% of Primary 5 learners did not meet minimum mathematics proficiency, according to figures cited by UNICEF and Nigeria's Universal Basic Education Commission. But these numbers don't tell the whole story.

Children shouldn't have to struggle in silence before they get the support they need. That's why we built Lena.

Lena combines interactive educational games with an intelligent tutor to help children practice, learn from feedback, and strengthen their understanding at their own pace. Instead of relying on classroom lessons alone, children get more opportunities to practice the core foundational skills, work through challenges, and build confidence as they learn. Lena is powered by our first model which was built for deep learning and identifying learning patterns with localized context.

Learning shouldn't depend on having a stable internet connection, especially in a region where access to the internet isn't always guaranteed or stable.

That's why we made the underlying model offline friendly, this allows children to access educational games and practice their math and literacy skills without an active internet connection.

For families dealing with unreliable connectivity or expensive data, this means fewer barriers to learning. For schools, it creates more opportunities to bring digital learning into environments where internet access isn't always available.

Lena makes learning interactive, but the goal goes beyond keeping children engaged. We want children to strengthen their skills, understand what they're learning, and become more confident in their abilities through practice.

And the numbers don't lie: children using Lena daily for three weeks have seen a 24% increase in school performance, demonstrating the potential of consistent, engaging learning practice.

For parents, that means another way to support their children's development. For teachers, it means an additional tool for helping students practice and strengthen their understanding.

Lena is already being used by schools to support children's learning.

Whether you're a parent looking for ways to help your child improve or a school exploring new approaches to learning, Lena gives you a practical way to bring interactive learning into a child's educational journey.

Every child deserves the chance to understand, practice, and make progress. Every parent deserves more ways to support their child. And every teacher deserves tools that help them support different learning needs.

Lena is a product of The Interesting Company.

Visit uselena.com to get started.