Blog Posts

What Kids Actually Need From Literacy Technology

A recent NBC News investigation sparked a wide conversation about educational software, specifically, whether the tools schools rely on to support literacy are actually working for students. The story describes students who are disengaged, teachers who feel sidelined, and parents who are questioning how much screen time their kids are logging in the name of "learning."  

It's a conversation worth having. And at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), it's one we've been part of for a long time.  

When Technology Gets in the Way of Learning  

Not all ed tech is created equally. Some tools are designed primarily to generate data for administrators. Others are built around the student, to spark curiosity, support teachers, and make reading feel like something worth doing.  

The difference matters. A tool that tracks compliance but doesn't build confidence isn't serving students. A platform that produces scores but hides the thinking behind them isn't helping teachers teach. And software that feels repetitive or disconnected from real reading experiences can quietly undermine the very motivation it claims to support.  

The growing pushback we're seeing from educators and families reflects something RIF has always believed: technology should be in service of authentic reading, not a replacement for it.  

What Real Literacy Engagement Looks Like  

At Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), we've spent nearly 60 years focused on one thing: getting kids excited about reading. We've always believed that the most powerful force in literacy development isn't an algorithm, it's a child who wants to read.  

That belief shaped how we built our RIF Literacy Tracker, a free formative assessment tool available through RIF's Literacy Central platform. The whole reason we created Literacy Tracker was simple: when a student gets an answer wrong, they deserve to know it in the moment and get a chance to try again.  

That immediate feedback loop changes everything. Instead of a score that appears at the end and disappears before a student can learn from it, Literacy Tracker gives students real-time guidance. It's low-stakes, supportive, and designed to build confidence rather than frustration.  

RIF's Literacy Tracker is built around student-centered design principles that stand in sharp contrast to what's drawing criticism elsewhere:  

  • Students choose their interests. Reading challenges are based on topics students actually care about, which increases motivation and makes assessment feel less like a test and more like a conversation about books.  
  • Feedback happens in real time. When students get something wrong, they find out immediately — and they get another chance. This mirrors how skilled teachers actually work with students.  
  • Educators stay in the loop. RIF’s Literacy Tracker generates reading performance reports that teachers can use to inform instruction, not just track compliance. You can see what a student knows and where they need support.  
  • Book recommendations follow the data. After a student completes a challenge, the tool generates a tailored reading list matched to their interests and reading level. Assessment leads directly to the next book, exactly where we want students to go.  

 
Literacy Tracker is designed to complement existing literacy curricula, not compete with it. It gives teachers better information and gives students a reason to keep reading.  

Skybrary: A Child-Centered Digital Library Built for Real Learning  

Digital reading tools can play a meaningful role in literacy development, but only when they're designed with children's actual learning needs in mind. Not all platforms labeled "educational" deliver on that promise. High-quality literacy technology should encourage engagement, conversation, and critical thinking rather than passive scrolling or overstimulation.  

That's the foundation behind Skybrary, RIF's interactive digital library for schools and families.  

Skybrary was built with a child-centered approach that prioritizes safe, intentional learning. There are no ads, no algorithms designed to maximize screen time, and no selling of student data, ever. Instead, Skybrary focuses on what matters most: helping children discover books, build literacy skills, and enjoy reading.  

For teachers, Skybrary fits seamlessly into existing instruction. The library features over 1,000 handpicked eBooks tagged by Lexile® level and Accelerated Reader quiz codes, along with standards-aligned content across ELA, science, and social studies. Ready-made lesson plans and teacher guides, complete with vocabulary, discussion prompts, and extension activities, mean less time searching and more time teaching.  

Skybrary also supports every type of learner. Read-to-me narration and text highlighting build fluency for developing readers. A growing selection of Spanish-language books and a diverse, inclusive library ensure every student finds something they connect with. And because Skybrary works both online and offline, students can keep reading wherever they are, in the classroom or at home.  

The Opportunity in Front of Us  

The growing conversation around screen time, student disengagement, and over-automated learning is not just a backlash against one product. It reflects a deeper question that educators, parents, and districts are beginning to ask: What role should technology play in a child's reading life?  

Our answer: technology should serve authentic reading experiences, not replace them. It should give students more reasons to love books, not more reasons to dread opening a laptop. And it should keep teachers at the center of instruction, informed, empowered, and never reduced to watching students' tap screens.  

If you're looking for a supplement that motivates readers, increases reading frequency, and builds genuine engagement with literacy, RIF's tools were designed with exactly that in mind.