Why I Built FactFlight
I’m a dad and a software developer in Austin, Texas, and I built FactFlight for my daughter.
When she started learning her math facts, I looked for something simple she could do for a few minutes a day. No ads, no clutter, nothing pulling her attention away. Just the facts, a little practice, and a way for both of us to see her getting better. I couldn’t find quite what I had in mind, so I made it.
It helped her more than I ever expected. Her speed went up, and so did her confidence. That’s when I decided to share it, so other kids can have the same kind of help on their way to mastering their facts.
Made for Every Kid
Every kid deserves to practice in a way that works for them. A parent or teacher can turn these on for each child, in any combination:
- Kids who are blind or have low vision. FactFlight is built to work with screen readers such as VoiceOver and TalkBack. Each problem, answer and result is announced, every question gets extra time, and a round waits for them instead of starting over. There’s also a larger-text button on every screen.
- Kids who are deaf or hard of hearing. Nothing in FactFlight depends on sound. Sound is off unless a parent or teacher turns it on, and every sound has something to see on screen as well.
- Kids with ADHD. A calm screen without flashing or countdown bars, a gentle pause instead of starting over, and short movement breaks between rounds.
- Kids with dyslexia, or anyone who finds reading hard. Problems can be read aloud, and there’s an easy-to-read font with extra spacing. A parent or teacher can also choose which numbers to work on, such as the 2s and 3s up to 4, and add more whenever they like.
What FactFlight Is (and Isn’t)
- No ads, ever. Kids see math practice and nothing else.
- Only what we need. Parents’ and teachers’ name and email. Kids only need a nickname. Emails you add for reports or invites are only used to send them.
- A few minutes a day. One short quiz, then quick practice on the facts that still need work.
- Made for kids. Big numbers, a simple keypad, a gentle timer, and the right answer shown when they need it.
- Clear for parents and teachers. Reports, a practice calendar and progress emails, so you can see how things are going.
- A supplement, not a substitute. It’s here to support what kids learn at school, never to replace their teachers or classwork.
~A dad