hello@ourstudytribe.com
A product of Sobena
our study tribeby sobenaour study
tribeby sobena
How it works

Learn, practise, keep going

Three steps your child repeats for every topic, whether they're getting ready in Primary 6 or already in Secondary 1 or 2.

Step 1: Learn

Short videos that make sense of it

In short: Short videos and clear notes, in whatever way your child reads and listens best.

Two student guides, Mei and Kai, talk through each topic in a few minutes, like a short podcast with pictures. The key arguments are laid out underneath in PEEL: Point, Evidence, Elaboration, Link — the shape of a good exam answer.

Watch, read and explore

  • Podcast-style video lessons. Mei and Kai talk each topic through as a friendly conversation, like a short podcast, with pictures, maps and real historical photos on screen.
  • Quick checks. The video pauses with a question, so your child answers before moving on.
  • Study notes. The key arguments in PEEL under every video, with tricky words explained in a built-in glossary.
  • Chapter mind maps. A whole chapter on one page. Read it, then hide the words and fill the gaps, or print it.
  • Matching games. Sort points from evidence, or match events to their time period.
  • Search. Find any topic, person or key word across every video and note.

Read and listen their way

  • Read aloud. Notes read out with each word highlighted, in a choice of voice and speed.
  • Text settings. Larger text, extra spacing and Lexend, a font many readers with dyslexia find easier.
  • Line focus. Dims the page around the line being read, to help keep their place.
  • Video controls. Captions, adjustable speed and keyboard shortcuts on every video.

You can try these right now on this website: open the Aa button at the top of any page to change the text size, spacing and font, turn on line focus, or have the page read aloud.

Step 2: Practise

Exam practice, one step at a time

In short: Exam questions in small steps, help when they're stuck, and feedback on every answer.

Source-based and structured essay questions, the two question types in school tests, are broken into small steps. Your child sees how answers are marked before they write.

Write exam answers, with support

  • Step-by-step source questions. Think, find evidence, write, check: each question is broken into small steps.
  • Essay writer. Build a structured essay one PEEL paragraph at a time, with sentence starters to tap.
  • Hints when stuck. Help one step at a time: a way to think about it, then a first idea, then a worked example.
  • Instant feedback. Every written answer gets a level, a mark, what went well and a clear next step.
  • Practice papers. Full papers in the real exam format, timed or untimed, with the whole paper marked at the end.

Make it stick

  • Daily review. Five quick questions a day from videos you've finished, brought back over days and weeks.
  • Chapter quizzes. Check what's sunk in at the end of each chapter.
  • My improvements. See how their levels for source and essay questions change over time.
Step 3: Keep going

A small study group, not a solo slog

In short: Study with a few friends or on their own, with simple tools to stay on track for tests.

Friends form a small tribe and move along the expedition map together, cheering each other on. Children who prefer to work alone can go solo, with Mei and Kai as guides. Simple planning tools keep everyone on track for test day.

Study together

  • Invite-only tribes. Up to 10 friends, joined by invite code only and never listed for strangers.
  • Weekly shared challenges. Everyone chips in towards one tribe goal. No rankings or leaderboards.
  • Tribe chat and cheers. A private chat with report and mute, which parents can switch off.
  • Go solo any time. Mei and Kai guide your child through the same map.

Stay on track

  • Study plan creator. Add a test date and the chapters it covers, and get a day-by-day to-do list.
  • Today's goal. Pick one goal for the session, tick it off, then a 10-second reflection.
  • Weekly progress. Counted as days studied each week, not streaks to keep up.
  • Historical Investigation planner. Plan the group project in four phases, from choosing a question to reaching an answer.
The thinking behind it

Built on eight design principles

Every feature follows research on how people learn and remember. Here's each principle in plain words, and how it shows up in Our Study Tribe.

  1. Design for variation from the start

    Every child learns differently, so there's more than one way in.

    In the app: Every lesson can be watched, listened to or read, and practised step by step.

  2. Respect the limits of working memory

    Small chunks, so it doesn't feel like too much at once.

    In the app: Lessons of about five minutes, one idea at a time, with visuals and narration designed to work together.

  3. Make disciplinary thinking visible

    Show how a historian thinks, not just what to remember.

    In the app: Arguments laid out as Point, Evidence, Elaboration and Link, and source questions split into named skills such as inference and comparison.

  4. Scaffold, then fade

    Help at first, then less as they improve.

    In the app: Guided PEEL boxes, sentence starters and step-by-step hints support early answers. As answers get stronger, students are invited to try without them.

  5. Retrieve and space, don't just re-read

    They test themselves a little each day, instead of re-reading notes.

    In the app: Quick checks pause the video so students answer first, and a daily review brings each idea back over days and weeks.

  6. Feedback that moves learning forward

    Feedback that says what to do next, not just a mark.

    In the app: Students see how answers are marked before they write. Every written answer returns a level, one strength and one clear next step.

  7. Motivation through autonomy, competence and belonging

    They choose, they see themselves improve, and they feel part of a group.

    In the app: Daily goals with a short reflection, progress counted as days studied rather than streaks, and small tribes with shared challenges and no rankings.

  8. Accessible by default

    Easy to read and listen to, for every child, from day one.

    In the app: Captions, adjustable speed, a glossary and a reader with read aloud, line focus and an easier-to-read font.

Read the research behind them at Sobena

Questions parents ask →