In short
- Reading tools for schools come in four kinds: graded reader libraries, platforms built for children learning to read, quiz and tracking systems, and full reading programs.
- Name your gap first: texts your pupils can read, a way to check the reading, or organised time for reading.
- Day and Bamford (2002) suggest that all but advanced learners probably need texts written or adapted for language learners.
- Compare the kinds on the same criteria, test a sample page with real pupils, and trial the strongest option with one class.
A search for the best reading platform returns products that do very different jobs. Some supply books, some check that books were read, and some run the whole program. Comparing them directly is like comparing a library with a register. This article sorts the tools into four kinds and shows which kind fits which school. It is published by iRead, which sells a reading platform that competes with some products named here. Product details come from each owner's website as checked in October 2026. Check current details with each vendor before you decide.
Which reading platform is best for an ESL school?
The best platform for an ESL school is the one built for the job your program lacks. If pupils have too little they can read, you need texts. If the books exist but nobody knows who read them, you need a check. If texts and checks exist but reading rarely happens, you need a program that organises the time.
Reading tools for schools fall into four broad kinds:
- Digital graded reader libraries. Books written for learners of English, set in levels, often with quizzes and teacher reports.
- Levelled platforms built for children learning to read. Large libraries of levelled books for young children, designed to support them as they learn to read.
- Extensive reading trackers and quiz systems. Short quizzes on books the school already owns, with a record of how much each pupil has read.
- Full reading programs. Texts, scheduled reading sessions, quizzes and records in one system.
Each kind does its own job. Trouble starts when a school buys one kind to solve another kind's problem. A quiz system cannot fix a shortage of books. A large library cannot make reading happen if no time is set aside for it.
So the first decision is not which product. It is which kind. The sections below describe each kind, give examples where the owner's own website confirms the description, and say which school each kind suits.
Digital graded reader libraries
A graded reader is a book written for language learners, with the vocabulary and grammar limited at each level. What Are Graded Readers? explains how they are made. A digital library puts a collection of them online, usually with quizzes and reports for teachers.
The research case for graded texts is strong for most learners. Day and Bamford (2002) argue that extensive reading material must be easy for the reader. They suggest that all but advanced learners probably need texts written or adapted with the constraints of language learners in mind.
Foxton Readers is one example. According to Foxton Books' website, as checked in October 2026, it is a graded readers and progress tracking platform for schools. It has seven levels, from Starter to Level 6, built on a grammar and vocabulary framework. The website also lists comprehension, grammar and vocabulary quizzes, homework tools, and reports for teachers and school leaders.
Who it suits: a school whose main gap is levelled texts, and which wants pupils to read on their own with teacher tracking. Foxton Readers Alternatives for EFL Schools looks at what to check if you want something different.
Levelled platforms built for children learning to read
A second kind offers a large library of children's books, levelled to support young children as they learn to read. Raz-Kids and Epic are two examples.
According to Learning A-Z's website, as checked in October 2026, Raz-Kids offers more than 800 levelled eBooks at 29 levels of reading difficulty. Students can listen to a book, read at their own pace and record themselves reading, then take a quiz. The website also lists Spanish translations of eBooks and quizzes for English language learners and bilingual programs.
According to Epic's website, as checked in October 2026, Epic is a digital library for children aged 12 and under. Its Epic School Plus plan gives access to over 40,000 books. Teachers can filter titles by grade level and by reading-level systems such as F&P and DRA. A free plan, Epic School, gives access to about 20,000 books on weekdays from 7am to 4pm.
For an EFL school, the question is the level system. The owner pages we checked describe levels of reading difficulty and grade levels. They do not mention the CEFR. That does not make the books unsuitable, but it means you have to check the fit with your own pupils.
Who it suits: English-medium and bilingual schools, young learners whose English is strong, and schools that want a large extra library. Raz-Kids and Epic Alternatives for EFL Learners explains how to check the fit.
Extensive reading trackers and quiz systems
A third kind supplies checks rather than books. Pupils read a book, often a printed graded reader from the school library, then take a short online quiz. The system keeps a record of what each pupil has read.
MReader is an example. According to the Extensive Reading Foundation's website, as checked in October 2026, the Foundation hosts MReader, where students take quizzes on more than 4,000 graded readers and youth readers. Each quiz gives a student 10 questions drawn at random from 20 or more. The site is free of charge to any recognised educational institution.
Tools of this kind can carry a large program. Robb and Kano (2013) studied a similar quiz module, MoodleReader, at a university in Japan. More than 2,000 first-year students were required to read graded readers outside class. Their reading scores rose significantly compared with the previous year's cohort, which had no extensive reading.
The authors credit part of the success to the quiz module, which relieved teachers of checking the reading themselves. The university library also bought the books and labelled them by level. Note the limits: these were university students, and the comparison was between two yearly cohorts.
Who it suits: a school that already owns enough graded readers at each level and needs a light way to check the reading. MReader Alternatives With a Full Reading Library covers what to do when the books are the gap.
Full reading programs with sessions and quizzes
The fourth kind puts the texts, the class time and the follow-up in one system. A teacher schedules reading sessions, pupils read levelled texts, and a short quiz or activity follows. Leaders see the records by class.
The case for organising reading time comes from Jeon and Day (2016). They combined 49 studies with 5,919 participants and found a small to medium effect of extensive reading on reading proficiency. Extensive reading run as part of the curriculum showed the highest mean effect of the types they compared.
Two more findings need a cautious reading. The effect was higher for adults than for children and adolescents. Web-based stories also showed a higher effect than paper books, but that comparison does not show that any particular platform works.
Who it suits: a school that lacks both texts and the staff time to organise a program, and wants reading built into the timetable.
How do the four kinds compare?
| Criterion | Graded reader library | Platform for children learning to read | Quiz and tracking system | Full reading program |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supplies texts | Yes, written for language learners | Yes, written for young readers | No, the school supplies the books | Yes; ask who the texts are written for |
| Level system | Its own levels; ask how they map to the CEFR | Reading or grade levels; ask how they map to the CEFR | The levels of the books you own | Ask which levels it uses and how they map to the CEFR |
| Checks the reading | Often quizzes and reports | Often quizzes and reports | Yes, this is its main job | Yes, quizzes and records |
| Organises reading time | Teachers set reading or homework | Teachers assign books | No; pupils read in class or at home | Yes, through scheduled sessions |
| Main cost to the school | A licence, plus time to set reading | A licence, plus time to check the level fit | Books, library management and set-up time | A licence, plus time to schedule sessions |
| Best fit | Short of levelled texts | English-medium, bilingual or strong young readers | Has the books, needs a check | Short of texts and of time to organise reading |
The table describes kinds, not products. Products within a kind differ, and some mix features from two kinds. Use the table to decide which kind to shortlist. Then compare products within that kind with Reading Platform Buyer's Checklist: 12 Checks Before You Buy.
One row deserves extra weight. Every kind except the quiz system supplies texts, and those texts decide whether pupils can read at all. A platform with excellent reports and texts that are too hard will produce excellent reports of pupils not reading.
How to choose: five steps for your shortlist
- Name the gap. Write one sentence: we lack texts, we lack a check, or we lack organised reading time.
- Shortlist one kind. Use the table above, and drop products of other kinds, however good their demonstration.
- Test a sample page. Day and Bamford (2002) suggest that more than one or two unknown words per page may make a text too hard for beginners. For intermediate learners, they allow up to five.
- Count the texts. Day and Bamford (2002) suggest a book a week as probably the minimum. Check that each level you teach has enough texts for a school year.
- Trial with one class. Run the strongest option for a few weeks before any school-wide decision. How to Run a Pilot of a Reading Platform shows how.
Classroom example (invented for illustration)
School A has 600 graded readers in its library, labelled by level, but no record of who reads them. Its gap is a check, so a quiz system fits.
School B has a coursebook and nothing else. Its gap is texts, so it shortlists graded reader libraries and full programs.
School C is an English-medium primary school with fluent young readers. A children's levelled library may suit it well.
In each case, the coordinator tests a sample page with three pupils before anyone signs a contract.
Keep the steps in this order. A school that starts with demonstrations tends to compare features it does not need. A school that starts with its gap can rule out most products in an afternoon. This is advice from practice, not a research finding.
How iRead fits among these kinds
iRead is a paid platform of the fourth kind. A pack is a CEFR-levelled set of stories, and many stories have an audio read-along synced to the text. Sessions are live classes, online or in school, that students enrol in themselves, and attendance is recorded automatically. A quiz runs after every session, and four word games are built each day from the story's vocabulary. A school can run a free pilot with one class for 4 to 6 weeks before deciding.
The core principle: Name the gap in your program before you compare products. A tool built for a different job will disappoint, however well it does that job.
See it in iRead: iRead combines CEFR-levelled story packs, live reading sessions with automatic attendance, a quiz after every session and four daily word games. Schools can ask for a free pilot with one class.
See the iRead programKey takeaway
Sort reading tools by the job they do, not by brand. Choose the kind that fills your gap, test a sample page with real pupils, and trial before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best reading platform for ESL students?
There is no single best one. Graded reader libraries suit schools short of levelled texts. Quiz systems suit schools that already own the books. Children's levelled libraries suit strong young readers. Full programs suit schools that need texts and organised reading time. Choose the kind that matches your gap.
Are platforms built for children learning to read suitable for EFL learners?
They can be, especially for young learners whose English is strong. Check the fit with a sample page. Day and Bamford (2002) suggest that more than one or two unknown words per page may be too many for beginners. Also ask how the platform's levels relate to the CEFR.
Is a free quiz system enough for an extensive reading program?
It can be, if the school already owns enough graded readers at each level. According to the Extensive Reading Foundation's website, MReader offers quizzes on graded readers, free to recognised educational institutions. Its page describes quizzes, not books, so the school needs its own library.
How many texts does a reading platform need at each level?
Enough for a year of steady reading. Day and Bamford (2002) suggest a book a week as probably the minimum to gain the benefits of extensive reading and build a habit. Count the texts at each level you teach against the weeks in your school year.
Should we trial a platform before buying it?
Yes. A few weeks with one real class shows whether pupils read more and whether teachers can run it without extra work. Decide the question and the pass mark before you start, so that the trial can actually rule a product out.
Sources
- Foxton Books (n.d.). Foxton ELT Graded Readers. Foxton Readers website (checked October 2026). www.foxtonreaders.com/
- Learning A-Z (LAZEL, Inc.) (n.d.). About Raz-Kids. Raz-Kids website (checked October 2026). www.raz-kids.com/main/aboutrazkids/
- Epic Kids Inc. (n.d.). Educators. Epic website (checked October 2026). www.getepic.com/educators
- Extensive Reading Foundation (n.d.). MReader Quizzes. Extensive Reading Foundation website (checked October 2026). erfoundation.org/wordpress/graded-readers/mreader/
- Day, R. R., & Bamford, J. (2002). Top ten principles for teaching extensive reading. Reading in a Foreign Language, 14(2), 136-141. doi.org/10.64152/10125/66761
- Jeon, E.-Y., & Day, R. R. (2016). The effectiveness of ER on reading proficiency: A meta-analysis. Reading in a Foreign Language, 28(2), 246-265. doi.org/10.64152/10125/66901
- Robb, T., & Kano, M. (2013). Effective extensive reading outside the classroom: A large-scale experiment. Reading in a Foreign Language, 25(2), 234-247. doi.org/10.64152/10125/66870