Reading Plus vs. LightSail

LightSail encourages students to be a part of their own literacy journey.
Reading Plus focuses on reading speed and comprehension questions to push students through a program. If all free reading requires specific instruction first with scaffolded text afterwards, where does student choice come in?

LightSail embeds assessments and learning opportunities to help students as they read books they have chosen for themselves from their curated library. Each student’s Lexile is tracked as they read, but they are also supported in vocabulary, writing, fluency, and fosters a love of reading.
10K+ Whole Books & Audiobooks
Personalized Solutions for All Readers
Student-Authored Books & Writing Modules
Gamification & Tournaments to Support Mastery

COMPARE LIGHTSAIL

Enliven curiosity & allow your students to drive their literacy journey while the platform adapts to their needs guided by the teacher.
Reading Plus uses a learn-this-lesson followed by a read-then-answer prompt for a few hundred leveled readers. With 19 reading levels, that dramatically cuts down student choice.

LightSail fosters a love of reading with tens of thousands of high-interest classic and contemporary titles, non-fiction, and audiobooks with embedded features to support grammar & vocabulary acquisition, plus incredible gamification.
Full-Text Books 
Robust Digital Library 
Team Reading 
Literacy Circles 
Reading Speed Alerts 
Accelerated Reading Modes 
Educator Content Builder 
Personalized Book Recommendations 
Text-Embedded Questions 
Homework Assignments 
Embedded Grammar Practice 
Spelling Bee 
In-Text Action Clips 
Writing & Composition Modules 
Vocabulary Tools 
Fluency Modules 
Badging 
Tournaments & Personalized Gamification 
Font & Text-Size Modification 
Specialized Modules for SpEd & Struggling Readers 

COMPARE LIGHTSAIL

Features
Libraries
SpEd Tools
Gamification
Reporting
Communication
Multi-Lingual
Feature Crosswalk
Content Builder
Library Curation
READING
LightSail
Reading Plus
Full-Text Books 
Adaptive, Robust Digital Library 
Team Reading & Literary Circles 
Reading Speed Alerts 
Accelerated Reading Modes 
Educator Content Builder 
Personalized Book Recommendations 
ADDITIONAL FEATURES & MODULES
LightSail
Reading Plus
Text-Embedded Questions 
National/State Standard Alignment 
Homework Assignments 
Lexile Level Progress Monitoring 
Parent Portal 
Built-in Rubrics 
Multiple Assessment Types Assigned by Educators 
Level-Set Assessment 
NWEA Map Integration 
SSO Integration 
WRITING
LightSail
Reading Plus
Student-Authored Books 
Digital Student-Authored School Libraries 
Variety of Writing Modules 
Citation Support 
VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR
LightSail
Reading Plus
Vocabulary Tools 
Vocab Mastery 
Embedded Grammar Practice 
Spelling Bee 
Printable Remediation Worksheets 
FLUENCY
LightSail
Reading Plus
Oral Fluency Builder Tools 
Running Record 
Narration (Retelling) 
Speak-Listen-Write 
TELPAS Practice 
GAMIFICATION
LightSail
Reading Plus
Badging 
Custom Tournaments 
Student Goal Setting 
25K+ Curated Ed. Videos 
Background Display Customization 
TEACHER-CREATED ASSESSMENTS
LightSail
Reading Plus
Embed multiple-choice & short response questions within any text 
Personally add questions to support specific curricular needs 
Tag questions with standards to ensure mastery 
All scoring kept within the platform for reports and analysis 
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Content 
Fiction 
Non-Fiction 
Grades 
Genres 
e-Bookstore 
Custom Content Uploads 
Whole Books 
Non-Fiction Articles 
Reading Modes 
Audiobooks 
Languages 
Embedded Assessments 
10,000+ books (differentiated reading levels)
Yes
Yes
K-12
Classic
Contemporary
High-Interest
100,000+ books available from top publishers
Content Builder import content in any language
Yes
Content Builder
Power Text & Free Reading
10,000+
English
Spanish
Chinese
Arabic
Tens of Thousands of embedded, expert-created multiple-choice & short-response questions
Reading Plus
3,000 reading passages
Yes
Yes
2-12
n/a
n/a
n/a
No
Yes
Guided Reading & Free Reading
English / Vocabulary
Spanish
Comprehension questions at the end of each passage
LightSail
Reading Plus
Alter Lines of On-Screen Text 
Screen Contrast 
Follow-Along Mode 
Blur Mode 
Highlight Follow-Along 
Cover & Reveal Mode 
World Bubbles (CVI) 
News Ticker Mode 
Spotlight & Laser Tools 
Time-on-Task Gamification 
Pronunciation Guide 
Dyslexia-Friendly Font 
Syllabification 
Multimodal Support 
Notetaking 
Graphic Organizers 
Word Prediction 
Highlighting 
Font & Text Size Change 
Background Color 
Large Print 
Text-to-Speech Read Aloud 
Simplified Text 
Modified Text 
Comprehension Questions 
Varied Reading Modes 
Specific Text Read-Aloud 
Goal Setting 
Audio Support 
Multiple Choice 
LightSail
Reading Plus
Tournaments 
"Educational Videos (25K+ Curated)" 
Badging / Awards 
Goal Setting 
Personalized Book Recommendations 
Custom Avatars 
Leaderboards 
Reading Streaks 
Mastery Rolls (Cloze, Grammar, & Spelling) 
In-Text Action Clips 
Background Display Customization 
District Level
Teacher Level
Student Level
Reports available at the district administrator level provide an overview of the district, school, & class-level data. In all of the programs listed, administrators also have availability to access the Teacher- & Student-level reporting features.
Class Stats 
School Stats 
District Stats 
Enrollment Totals 
Reading Participation Averages per School 
Lexile Growth Averages 
Reading Stats by Teacher 
Teacher Dashboard 
Customizable Metrics 
Reading Status per Student 
Reports available at the teacher level provide information and data at the class-level to drive classroom instructional decision-making.
Student Clozes 
Student Lexile 
Student Stats 
Assessment Results 
Reading Skills Data 
Class Progress/Engagement Measures 
Students’ Active Reading Numbers 
Reading Activity 
Reports available detail individual student performance measures.
Minutes Read 
Reading Inception Progress 
Vocabulary Data 
Student Dashboard 
Class Participation 
Comprehension Data 
Time Spent Logged In 
Books Read 
Pages Read 
Words Read 
Parent Reports 
In-School/After School Minutes 
Performance Awards or Badges Earned 
Reading Fidelity 
Performance by Standard 
Remediation Attempts 
Number of Log-ins 
Annotations Entered by Student 
Book Completion vs. Abandonment 
LightSail
Reading Plus
Class Chat 
Teacher Chat (1-on-1) 
Custom Group Chat 
Educator Group Chat 
Administrative Controls 
Parent Portal 
Share/Recommend Content 
Disable Chat 
Multi-Lingual User Interface 
Books in Any Language 
Add Questions in Any Language 
Audio & Text in Any Language 
Import Custom Content in Any Language 
Pronunciation Read Aloud 
Read Aloud in Authentic Accent 
Multi-Lingual Audiobooks 
Vocabulary Translation 
LightSail
English
Spanish
Chinese
Yes
Written & Oral
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes, in multiple accents
Thousands available
English
Spanish
Reading Plus
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
LightSail
Homework Tool & Assignments 
Teachers can assign in-school or homework reading assignments & monitor student progress
Adaptive Reader & Library 
Adapts text to the appropriate reading level for students, reassessing every 15 days
Vocab Mastery & Word Journeys 
Provides definitions, examples, & practice activities for key vocabulary words
My Data & Student Dashboard 
Provides students with real-time metacognitive data on reading progress & growth, plus personalized reading recommendations
Adaptive Reader & Library 
Adapts text to the appropriate level for students, including adaptive library based on student level & interest
Personalized Reader
& SpEd Scaffolding Tools 
Over 60 custom scaffolds & tools to provide accommodations & modifications for students with special needs & reading challenges
LightSail Power Challenge 
Adaptive placement text
Continuous Lexile Assessment 
Tracks a student’s Lexile level progress with an update every 15 days
Goals & Progress 
Helps students set & track reading goals
Reading Plus
Adaptive Assignments 
All choices are made by the system
Reading Levels 
System automatically provides lessons aligned with student’s performance on assessments
Vocabulary (ReadAround) 
Students learn words and then see them in their reading passages.
Student Dashboard 
Shows reading rate, words read, and reading profile.
Guided Window 
Students must used the Guided Window scaffold until the system transitions them to other texts
Visual Skills (iBalance) 
Supports the development of visual and perceptual skills with Flash activities & Scan Activities.
InSight 
Benchmark assessment to evaluate student growth
3 Dimensions of Silent Reading 
Assessments measure capacity, fluency, and motivation.
Benchmarking 
All goals and benchmarks are set automatically by the system
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CONTENT BUILDER
LightSail
Reading Plus
Ability to import custom content from almost any website 
Ability to import custom content from PDFs, Docs, ePUBs 
Select and hide unnecessary information in text 
Auto-hide distractions like ads, images, videos, social media links, etc. to focus on content 
Option to automatically add cloze assessments 
Imported content appears in adaptive e-Reader or Personalized Reader (for struggling readers) 
AUTOMATED ASSESSMENTS
LightSail
Reading Plus
Option to add assessments both manually and/or automatically to imported content 
Simultaneously create differentiated questions per grade, standard/skill type, and/or depth of knowledge 
Adjust the complexity of the answers based on skill level 
Option to match questions with individual students’ mastery needs 
Option for automated grading done within the platform 
Detailed recordkeeping & data analysis per student, question, & document 
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LICENSED LIBRARIES
LightSail
Reading Plus
Ability to align 10K books with school’s curricular needs by hiding books from collection 
Ability to curate library per school within a district 
Ability to curate library per district within a state 
Personalized consultation to curate school/district libraries 
DISTRICT SHARED LIBRARY
LightSail
Reading Plus
Safe, secure archive for shared content exclusively within your district 
Accessible by educators and administrators to support curriculum 
PARTNER SHARED LIBRARY
LightSail
Reading Plus
Partner can create & share content to support schools 
Direct access to & collaboration with partner/reseller from company 
Custom Professional Development content to support teachers 
FEATURES
Adaptable libraries & personalized learning tools for academic excellence.
Whole Book Experience
Embedded Assessments
Power Text Mode w/ Cloze Questions
Gamification & Tournaments
Vocabulary & Spelling Modules
Fluency & Running Record
Portfolios & Recordkeeping
Personalized Reader
Content Builder
Team Reading & Literacy Circles

Top 5 Reasons Experts LOVE LightSail!

1. DIGITAL LIBRARY

"I love the digital library. It has great options that are interesting and from top publishers. It is more robust than many schools’ traditional libraries. As an avid reader, that’s my very favorite feature. Achieve’s “library” of texts doesn’t even compare."

2. ADAPTIVE READER

"The adaptive reader is awesome. It gives access to the same text to all the kids in your class, but at the level they need. It’s instant differentiation."

3. LEXILE TOOLS w/ PERSONALIZATION

"It has all the benefits of the Lexile tracker that Achieve has, but lets you do more personalization for kids beyond just reading level. The Personalized Reader tools are awesome for Special Ed students."

4. CONTENT BUILDER

"You can use all the texts you already use and love right within LightSail. You just upload it in the Content Builder, so it combines the best of Achieve 3000 and Newsela for non-fiction articles."

5. EASE OF USE

"Honestly, it’s easy to use. There are so many features, but you don’t have to learn them all at once. You can just start with the Lexile level and you’ll fall in love with the options from there."

1. METACOGNITIVE DATA FOR STUDENTS

"More than just an educational buzzword, student ownership of [metacognitive] data turns our scholars into informed seekers who are chasing their own goals and working to improve their own skills and masteries. With every other tool, we have to hand them that data through conferences and print-outs. With Lightsail, they already have it [on their dashboard] and they have that knowledge when they come to our conferences. ..[I]t makes for a much more robust dialogue, rather than a one-sided conversation."

2 TOOLS FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS

"Lightsail has the most comprehensive set of diverse learner tools I have ever seen. More importantly, it really hands the empowerment and agency to the students to use their scaffolds. Teachers are frequently overworked and schools understaffed these days. Lightsail gives us a way to...make sure every child in our class has a personalized ladder to reading success."

3 EASE OF USE

"My biggest complaint about the Renaissance platform, in particular, is that it is several different tools with varying thoroughness in their design. In theory, the tools communicate flawlessly with each other, but, in practice, that is not always so. It negatively impacts student ownership of data and also the availability of texts.

For data, sometimes the systems do not sync up immediately and what is student-facing (the student dashboard on MyOn) does not match...the teacher-facing data reports pulled from AR/STAR.

For availability of texts, while MyON has 7,000+ books, less than half tend to have matching AR comprehension, vocabulary, and literacy skill quizzes. Take that selection and further limit it by a student’s ZPD, and the choice does get more constrained the higher up the ZPD moves. [Teachers] usually have to supplement with Sora and physical libraries.

With Lightsail, it is all one single system and all the tools work flawlessly together, giving students the most ownership and choice, while providing the most teaching and assessing capability."

4 SPELLING BEE

"Lightsail’s Spelling Bee is embedded into the literacy practice and personalized to what the student is actually reading. I tried doing this once when I only had sixty students and it was still exhausting. This does it automatically! Each student grows their ability to spell the words they are learning...in their own reading choices!"

5 WRITING

"The writing tools are amazing! The student-authored book tools are amazing and the embedded grammar practice is such a great solution to the problem of the ineffectiveness of grammar instruction in isolation. ...[F]for students to earn the ability to have their books published to the class, school, district, or even Lightsail world is such an incredible and real incentive. Can you imagine how cool that would be to share in communication with parents/guardians? - ’Hi, Mrs. S, ... I wanted to let you know your son/daughter is working on publishing their very own book!’"

WHAT DOES A READING EXPERT SAY?

Meet Dr. Kelley McConnell, a current District Administrator and former teacher, with a Master's in Instructional Technology and a Ph.D. in School Leadership. She oversees assessment, curriculum, and student data in her district, providing her with a keen understanding of the needs of students and schools from a pedagogical and technological viewpoint. As a District Administrator in a large K-12 school serving nearly 8,000 students, she has "deeply utilized a number of literacy programs, including Achieve 3000, IXL Language Arts, Newsela, and Reading Eggs."

We asked her to scrutinize LightSail in comparison to the other platforms with which she has worked. Here's her expert take:

LightSail for Schools is a highly-effective literacy program that offers a personalized learning experience to improve students' reading skills. LightSail outperforms competitors such as Achieve3000, IXL, Newsela, and Reading Eggs in terms of its robust program offerings.

Some of the advantages of LightSail for Schools include its emphasis on personalized learning, the ability to individualize instruction and the focus on building reading skills that are essential for academic success. Additionally, LightSail's comprehensive approach to literacy instruction includes a wide range of tools and resources that make it a top choice for school districts looking to improve student reading skills.

Of the many programs that I have used and explored as a district administrator,

LightSail for Schools outperforms them all.

Expert Analysis

Personalized Learning
LightSail for Schools uses an adaptive technology that tailors the reading materials to the students’ Lexile reading level and interests. This means that students are presented with content that is just right for their reading abilities, allowing them to make progress at their own pace and empowers them by allowing them to choose their own reading material from a collection of whole books.
Real-Time Assessment through Cloze Activities
The program also provides real-time data on students’ reading progress, comprehension, and vocabulary. Teachers can use this data to identify areas of strength and weakness, and then make informed decisions on how to support, accommodate, and differentiate learning for individual students.

Cloze activities are a tool designed to help students improve their reading comprehension and vocabulary skills. The Cloze feature presents students with a text that Lexile-appropriate words removed. They then choose from four options to fill in the missing word. This adapts to each student’s reading level and provides them with texts that are challenging, but still within their zone of proximal development.

By providing immediate feedback to students, it lets them know whether their answers are correct or incorrect. Incorrect answers are then sent to Vocab Mastery, where they can review definitions, synonyms, and hear the word pronounced, and then retake the missed cloze for mastery.
Extensive Full-Length Book Library
LightSail for Schools has an extensive library of texts and full-length books, many of which contain state and national standards-aligned assessment questions and tagging. The program offers a wide range of genres and formats, including both fiction and non-fiction digital and audio texts. LightSail is a great alternative to a traditional library, allowing student choice to develop their own interests as a reader.
Robust SpEd & Intervention Support Tools
LightSail’s program includes 60 different tools to customize the reading experience within their Personalized Reader. It adapts to each student’s needs with options to save in individual templates to support struggling readers.

Built-in accommodation templates can be used from day one and customized as needed.

Personalized Reader tools allow for unique customization for special education needs to include accommodations for students with dyslexia, ADHD, visual impairments, autism, and other challenges.
Embedded Literacy Skills & "Vocab Mastery"
LightSail embeds literacy skills throughout the content, so students are not just learning to read, but also developing important literacy skills naturally throughout their reading. Moving beyond the worksheet, LightSail makes the most of every reading opportunity by capitalizing on areas where students can continue to grow.

The "Vocab Mastery" module provides students with a series of interactive word games and activities that are personalized to their reading level and individual needs. The games and activities include word matching, word puzzles, and word scrambles, and are designed to help students learn new words and improve their ability to recognize and use those words in context.

One of the key benefits of the Vocab Mastery feature is that it provides immediate feedback to students, allowing students to learn from their mistakes and continue to improve their skills over time.
Engagement Features & Reporting
LightSail for Schools also has gamification elements that keep students motivated and engaged in their learning. Students earn badges, points, and rewards for completing challenges and reaching milestones, making the learning experience more enjoyable and exciting.

Additionally, parents, teachers, and administrators can easily track student progress in Lexile level, reading minutes, and assessment activity.
Adaptive Technology
One of the critical advantages of LightSail for Schools is its adaptive technology, which tailors the reading materials to the students’ reading level and interests. This feature enables students to receive content that is "just right" for their reading abilities, allowing them to make progress at their own pace.
Data-Informed Differentiation
The program features such as Clozes and Vocab Mastery provide real-time data on students’ reading progress, comprehension, and vocabulary, giving teachers the ability to make informed decisions on how to support individual students.
Whole Book Approach
Above all, the access to full-length books that are interesting, engaging, and appropriate for students is a wonderful feature in promoting the love of reading and lifelong learning.
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QUESTIONS BY EDUCATORS FOR EDUCATORS

District Admin / Principal
Curriculum Lead/Principal
Teacher/SpEd Teacher
General ?s
What evidence do you have that LightSail actually works?! I see that you are not listed on evidence for ESSA...
While LightSail might not be specially called out in the ESSA evidence, the product is based in research-backed science of learning strategies. Our literacy and phonics program is built on the trusted science of reading research. The literature and research support LightSail’s product thesis of Access + Engagement + Motivation = Mastery.

Additionally, a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University School of Education showed that students who read for 30 minutes a day on LightSail show gains of 3.9x on their Lexile scores. (LightSail customers, many of whom have continued to use LightSail over a period of years with a diverse group of students, are also able to share about the positive impact of LightSail on student literacy growth in their respective districts, schools, and classes)
We have a well-stocked library in the school. Why should we dedicate more budget (which we don’t have!) to a digital library?
There are several benefits of using LightSail’s digital library over a regular library.

With LightSail’s digital library, students have access to a wide range of books, many of which may not be available in their local library. It also includes books at a range of reading levels, allowing teachers to differentiate instruction and provide targeted support for struggling readers.

The digital library can also be accessed from any location with an internet connection (students can continue reading a book even when they are offline).

Struggling readers and SpEd students particularly benefit from LightSails unique Personalized Reader, with over 60 instant accommodations and tools to help students read their way, and then save those in templates for later use.

LightSail’s digital library includes tools for progress monitoring, allowing teachers to track individual student reading progress and adjust instruction as needed, plus it includes interactive features such as embedded questions and vocabulary activities that help to engage students and deepen their understanding of the text.

LightSail’s digital library is available 24/7, making it a convenient option for students who may not have access to a physical library or who have busy schedules outside of school.
On LightSail, do I have to buy books in addition to the license fee?
No, you don’t have to buy books separately on LightSail, but the option is available for the school or for parents to purchase extra books as desired.

The platform has a digital library that provides access to thousands of books across various genres and reading levels. The license fee covers the cost of accessing this library and using the platform’s reading and assessment features.
Our School Board is very strict on which books can be used. How do you assure that students are not expose to inappropriate content?
Books can be removed from the school library with just a click. This can be done at a class or district level. Schools and districts can also work with LightSail to create their own customized libraries.
Budgets are tight this year. How are other districts using LightSail to stretch their funds?
LightSail is cross-curricular and can be used in many subject areas to support reading comprehension. Additionally, parents, community members, and donors can actually buy books from the e-Bookstore for the school - teachers can even host their own digital Book Fairs to enhance their classroom libraries!

LightSail actually functions as a full digital library, accessible to every student on any device at any time, which can provide a great savings to districts.
My education team has been using myON / Achieve 3000 for years. It sounds like your tool is pretty much the same thing...is it?
LightSail is both deeper and broader than Achieve 3000. The adaptive reader, Personalized Reader for struggling readers, customizable student accommodations, content builder, and full-length library options are unique only to LightSail and cannot be found in comparable products.
My teachers are already overwhelmed and hard-pressed for time. Will it take long to learn the program?
No - the program is very intuitively designed and easy to navigate. There is a robust training system built into every feature that provides a video overview of how to use it.

LightSail will end up saving teachers time and energy because it has so much already available for them to use. It will make the day-to-day easier for teachers.
Why should we switch to LightSail?
LightSail is the only literacy tool that is built to support a love of reading and foster lifelong independent readers without sacrificing progress monitoring and accountability measures. Your teachers, students, and parents will love this choice!
What makes LightSail different? Why should we try it?
Having access to full-length books from top publishers is worth it in itself. Additionally, for students with IEPs, LightSail has the most customizable accommodations that are personalized and unique to the needs of each individual student.

Teachers can also import content and create their own libraries - even including student-authored and teacher-authored books!
It seems like all programs allow for assessing Oral Reading Fluency. Why is yours any different?
While other programs may provide opportunity to assess oral fluency, the retelling features in LightSail’s fluency builder go above and beyond the rest. Students are able to record their own voice reading the text or summarizing the story, which teachers can then grade according to already provided rubrics.
I hear LightSail is expensive! We’re using Newsela for free.
Newsela is limited to article-based reading, and LightSail has a full library of texts and full-length novels. Additionally, LightSail has a content builder option where you can upload any of your favorite articles or texts to use within the program. LightSail’s powerful Power Text reading mode provides for rich literacy engagement that goes beyond comprehension. LightSail can do everything that Newsela can...plus so much more.
In iReady/Reading Plus/Reading AtoZ, I have instructional guides and lesson plans to help me with intervention, teaching specific ELA topics, and literacy skills. Does LightSail?
Yes! LightSail has activities, rubrics, teaching units, and instructional tools to support intervention and specific ELA/literacy tools. All of the tools and benefits of those reading programs are found within LightSail, plus many, many more rich, embedded literacy and fluency tools.
Seems like LightSail is just built for independent reading. How would I use LightSail instructionally?
LightSail is a great tool to use to differentiate instruction. LightSail allows you to assign one text to students, but have the content differentiated based on their individual reading level and needs. This makes it an ideal tool for differentiated instruction, as you can provide each student with a customized learning experience.

You can also assign quizzes or writing prompts to accompany the readings, and use the data to guide your instruction.

LightSail also has rich data on students’ reading progress and Lexile levels, which can help you to monitor their growth over time. This can inform your instructional decisions, and help you to adjust your teaching to meet the needs of each student.
How is LightSail used in the classroom? How would I use LightSail for a whole-class novel?
Teachers can set reading goals for students, and then use LightSail to track progress towards these goals. This can help motivate students to read more and improve their reading skills. Teachers can use LightSail’s built-in assessments to gauge students’ comprehension of the material. These assessments can be used to identify areas where students may need additional support.
We have 3 SpEd classes using MindPlay. Why do we also need LightSail?
The special education accommodations available in LightSail are unmatched in any other program. LightSail complements learning-to-read programs such as MindPlay by offering a fully-customizable literacy program that is individualized for every student. A few of the many features include:
  • Text-to-Speech to support struggling readers or students with visual impairments.
  • Adjusted Reading Levels to adjust the reading level of books to suit the needs of individual students.
  • A dictionary feature that allows students to look up the meanings of unfamiliar words, supporting students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.
  • Various visual aids such as illustrations, images, and videos support students’ comprehension of the text.
  • A range of text formats, including audio and interactive texts, to engage learners with diverse learning styles.
  • Teacher-assignment of reading materials to meet individual student needs, such as books with a lower reading level or texts that focus on specific skills.
We already do NWEA MAP / State Lexile assessments. It seems like LightSail is an unnecessary duplication. Is it?
LightSail goes far beyond assessment because it tracks students in real-time, updates student Lexile scores every 15 days, promotes a love of reading, and is an engaging literacy tool. Students can track their reading progress and see how many books they’ve read, how many words they’ve read, how much time they’ve spent reading, and track their own data, increasing metacognition. This can help students feel a sense of accomplishment and encourage them to continue reading.
One of my colleagues/I used LightSail in 2016 - it was terrible! Always crashing, software issues, books not opening. We did not renew as a result. Is this still the case?
No, my experience with LightSail has been seamless. The product works quickly and is very stable.
Our school doesn’t need a digital reading solution or digital library. Most of our students are reading well below grade level and need basic support. What could help us?
LightSail supports students who are reading below grade level and can help them improve their literacy skills. LightSail’s adaptive algorithm automatically adjusts a student’s reading level to match their reading ability, ensuring that they are always reading at an appropriate level. Additionally, LightSail offers a guided reading mode that provides support to students as they read, including definitions for challenging vocabulary words, highlighting of key ideas and themes, and prompts to help students make connections to their own experiences.
COVID created screentime and device overload. We just want real books in our students’ hands. Why would we go digital?
Books in hand are a great tool and can’t be replaced; however, LightSail is an awesome complement to a traditional library. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Digital libraries are more cost-effective as well, providing more content to more students anytime, anywhere. The LightSail platform also supports hybrid learning.
How is LightSail used within the current Science of Reading / Structured Literacy approach?
LightSail can be used as part of a structured literacy approach to support students in developing their reading skills. LightSail provides numerous tools and resources that support structured literacy instruction, including:
  • Text leveling: LightSail uses a leveling system to categorize books by complexity, making it easier for teachers to select appropriate texts for their students.
  • Vocabulary development: LightSail offers tools for vocabulary development, including a built-in dictionary and adaptive vocabulary practice.
  • Comprehension: LightSail provides a range of tools to support comprehension, including embedded questions, assessments, and analytics that help teachers identify areas where students may be struggling.
  • Phonemic awareness: LightSail offers a range of phonemic awareness activities to help students develop their phonological processing skills.
  • Decoding: LightSail’s features support students in learning to decode, specifically the syllabification feature.
  • Fluency: LightSail supports fluency development through timed reading activities, narration, running record, speak-listen-write, and speed alerts.
By using these tools within a structured literacy approach, teachers can provide targeted instruction and support for students who may be struggling with reading. Additionally, LightSail’s analytics and reporting features can provide teachers with valuable data on student progress, which can inform instruction and intervention.
I heard that LightSail is only relevant for elementary and middle school students. What about the high school students in our district?
LightSail is absolutely relevant for high school students. It includes whole books that are appropriate for high school students, including the classics such as Treasure Island, The Scarlett Letter, and The Call of the Wild.

In addition, it supports composition skills with its various writing modules, and can support students in learning to research in a controlled environment.

It prepares students for higher education by embedding Lexile-appropriate questions in multiple-choice and short-answer format tagged with state-standards.

In addition, it encourages collaboration and critical thinking within a group setting by using its Team Reading and Literacy Circle modules, and chat features.
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