This fall, Shoelace partnered with the research arm of Michigan Virtual to run a pilot to evaluate the efficacy of using Shoelace’s games to tackle the second goal on Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan of “Improv[ing] early literacy achievement.” The pilot took place over eight weeks and with 300 students from 13 classes across six different districts recruited through the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association (MEMSPA).  Here are three key insights from the study, published February 2025: 99.7% Student Activation Stanhope and Rectanus (2015) found that, on average, 63.4% of student licenses are activated across school and district sites. In our pilot, 299 of the 300 students logged into the games and answered at least one question, giving us a stellar 99.7% activation rate! While there was extra motivation for teachers to get their students active (they were participating in a pilot), participation remained high, with weekly