Adaptive Reader

Adaptive Reader

Adaptive Reader

Adapt any book for every learner—personalized by language, reading level, and printed on demand.

Cambridge, MA, USA

United States

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

Migration is transforming schools around the world. In Portland, Maine, 56 languages are spoken at the local high school. We’ve spoken to rural districts where over 200 languages are represented across the student body. But while classrooms have grown more diverse, most curriculum materials haven’t. They’re still published in a single language and at a fixed reading level—designed for a narrow band of learners. This mismatch leaves millions of students behind. More than 70% of U.S. students are not reading at grade level, and globally, over 770 million people lack basic literacy skills. For students learning a new language, navigating a learning difference, or recovering from interrupted education, the traditional textbook can be a wall rather than a window. Educators are forced to choose: spend hours modifying texts themselves, or watch students struggle through material that isn’t developmentally appropriate. Print remains the dominant mode of instruction, especially in under-resourced schools—yet most books lack the adaptability required to serve today’s classrooms. The result is a growing equity gap. Students are ready to learn—but the materials are not ready for them.

Adaptive Reader transforms any book into a personalized, print-ready learning experience—leveled by reading ability, translated into a student’s home language, and supported with audio. We’ve built a human-AI publishing platform that allows educators, schools, and publishers to adapt texts quickly and affordably. Our system breaks books into passages, simplifying sentence structure and vocabulary to match a range of reading levels. Each passage can then be translated into 30+ languages, and read aloud by natural-sounding AI voices. Teachers can assign a specific version, or let students access the one that best meets their needs. Each adapted book is printed on demand—with the same cover and layout—so every student can engage with the same text, without stigma. Inside, we include passage markers and QR codes so students can jump into the digital version from any page, switch languages or levels, or listen to audio—all without needing a login. Behind the scenes, we use a blend of custom AI models and human editorial oversight to ensure quality, privacy, and speed. In minutes, schools can go from having a book that excludes students to one that brings everyone in.

Our solution serves multilingual learners, students with learning differences, and those reading below grade level—especially in under-resourced schools and districts experiencing rapid demographic change due to migration. At a high school in Philadelphia with 65 languages spoken, teachers write instructions in the top three languages on the whiteboard using Google Translate. In NYC, the largest school district in the U.S., official translations of core texts like Romeo and Juliet exist in only 10 languages—while hundreds are spoken across the system. Students outside those top languages are left behind. Meanwhile, 85% of the educators we interviewed said they prefer print for long-form reading. They cited stronger comprehension, retention, focus, and ease of access—especially for students without reliable internet. Adaptive Reader ensures every student can access the same high-quality content, regardless of language or reading level. By transforming texts into leveled, translated, and audio-supported formats—then printing them on demand—we meet students where they are. For teachers, this means less time spent manually adapting materials and more time focused on instruction. For students, it means the chance to engage with rigorous, grade-level content in a format they can understand—without stigma or shame.