In short
- According to their owners' websites, Raz-Kids offers more than 800 levelled eBooks at 29 levels, and Epic is a library of over 40,000 books for children aged 12 and under.
- Reading in a new language is a different task: Grabe (2009) links most problems in second-language reading development to proficiency in, and exposure to, that language.
- Day and Bamford (2002) suggest that all but advanced learners probably need texts written or adapted for language learners.
- Before choosing, test a sample page with your pupils and ask any vendor how its levels relate to the CEFR.
Raz-Kids and Epic are large digital libraries built for young readers. An EFL school may ask whether they suit pupils who are learning English as a foreign language. This article describes both products from their owners' websites, then sets out what an EFL school should check in them or in any alternative. It is published by iRead, which sells a reading platform that competes with both products. Facts about each product come from its owner's website as checked in October 2026. Check current details with each vendor.
What should EFL schools look for in a Raz-Kids or Epic alternative?
Look for texts your pupils can read in English, not only texts that suit their age. That means texts written or adapted for learners of English, levels that map to the CEFR levels of your course, and help with the new words in each text. Before choosing anything, test a sample page with real pupils.
This is not a verdict on either product. A library built for children learning to read does a different job from one built for learners of a foreign language. Some schools need the first, some need the second, and some need both.
What Raz-Kids and Epic are, according to their owners
Raz-Kids
According to Learning A-Z's website, as checked in October 2026, Raz-Kids provides levelled reading resources for students. It offers more than 800 levelled eBooks at 29 levels of reading difficulty. Students can listen to a book, read it at their own pace and record themselves reading. They then take a quiz on it.
The website says a child moves to the next level after reading ten or more books at a level and passing each quiz. It lists Spanish translations of eBooks and quizzes for English language learners and bilingual programs, and reporting tools for teachers. Learning A-Z describes its Reading Solution, which includes Raz-Kids, as serving PreK-6 students.
Epic
According to Epic's website, as checked in October 2026, Epic is a digital library for children aged 12 and under. Its full school plan, Epic School Plus, gives access to over 40,000 books. A free plan, Epic School, gives access to about 20,000 books on weekdays from 7am to 4pm.
The website lists read-to-me books, levelled readers, decodable books and chapter books. Teachers can filter titles by grade level and by reading-level systems such as F&P and DRA, assign books and track daily reading. The library also includes books in Spanish, French, Chinese and Gaelic.
The owner pages we checked for both products do not mention the CEFR. That is not a flaw in either product. It means an EFL school has to check the fit for itself.
Why reading in a new language is a different task
A child learning to read in a first language and a pupil reading in a foreign language face different problems. Grabe (2009) gives a chapter to the relationship between first- and second-language reading. He argues that most issues in second-language reading development are linked to proficiency in the new language and exposure to it, including exposure to print.
He adds that transfer from the first language has an important role, but it is not the whole story. Second-language reading, in his account, draws on the resources of both languages at once.
In plain terms, a pupil's age and reading stage in their own language say little about what they can read in English. A twelve-year-old who reads well at home may know only a few hundred English words. A level set for young children, whatever system it uses, cannot tell you whether this pupil knows the words on the page.
Day and Bamford (2002) draw the practical conclusion for extensive reading. They suggest that all but advanced learners probably need texts written or adapted with the linguistic and knowledge constraints of language learners in mind. That is the job graded readers are written to do. Graded Readers vs Authentic Texts: Which Should Learners Read? sets out the trade-off.
Why the share of known words decides the fit
Hu and Nation (2000) studied 66 university students in New Zealand reading fiction with different shares of unknown words. They concluded that unassisted reading for pleasure needs about 98% of the words to be known. That is about one unknown word in every 50.
Kremmel, Indrarathne, Kormos and Suzuki (2023) repeated the study with 104 adult learners in Sri Lanka and could not fully replicate the results. Neither study involved children. Treat 98% as a guide, and check with your own pupils.
Day and Bamford (2002) give a test you can run in five minutes. For beginners, more than one or two unknown words per page may make a text too hard. For intermediate learners, they allow up to five.
To run the test with a class:
- Choose one page from the middle of a book at the level you are considering.
- Give it to three pupils at the class level: a strong reader, an average reader and a weaker one.
- Ask each pupil to underline every word they do not know, without a dictionary.
- Count the underlined words and compare them with the Day and Bamford guide: one or two for beginners, up to five for intermediate learners.
- Repeat the test with a text written for learners at the same CEFR level, and compare the counts.
Classroom example (invented for illustration)
A teacher picks a book from a children's library at a level marked for seven-year-olds.
She gives one page to three Grade 6 pupils at A2 and asks them to underline every word they do not know.
One pupil underlines 2 words, one underlines 6, and one underlines 9.
The book suits the first pupil only. Before deciding, the teacher runs the same test with a graded reader written for A2.
Age matters too, though here the point comes from practice, not research. A text simple enough for an A2 teenager may have been written for a much younger child, and older pupils can find that off-putting. Texts for learners can keep the language simple while the story suits an older reader. What Can an A2 Reader Actually Read? shows what texts at one CEFR level look like.
What to check in any alternative
| What to check | Question for the vendor | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Who the texts are written for | Are the texts written or adapted for learners of English? | Day and Bamford (2002) suggest that most learners need such texts |
| Level system | How do your levels relate to the CEFR? | A level should mean the same in the platform and in your course |
| Words per level | How many words, and which ones, does each level assume? | Hu and Nation (2000) found that readers need nearly all the words known |
| Sample pages | Can we test pages at each level with our pupils? | The fit shows on a page, not in a brochure |
| Age of content | Do the stories suit older pupils at low levels? | A teenager at A2 needs simple language in a story for an older reader |
| Records | Can teachers and leaders see levels and reading by class? | You cannot help a pupil you cannot see |
Level systems rarely convert exactly into one another. CEFR vs Lexile vs GSE: Mapping Reading Levels explains why. How to Assess a Student's English Reading Level helps you place pupils before you compare any products.
Ask the same questions of every option, including the library you use now. A vendor who answers in CEFR terms and offers sample pages makes the comparison easy. A vendor who cannot answer leaves the checking to you.
When Raz-Kids or Epic may still be the right choice
A library built for young readers can be a strong choice in the right school. Consider one when:
- Your school teaches in English and many pupils already speak it well.
- Your pupils are young, and their spoken English is close to what is expected for their age.
- You run a bilingual program. Learning A-Z's website lists Spanish translations of Raz-Kids eBooks and quizzes for this purpose.
- You want a large extra library. Epic's website lists a free school plan during school hours.
- Your strongest readers need more choice than a graded series offers.
Some schools may run both kinds. Graded texts carry the core program, and a large children's library gives strong readers more to choose from. The sample page test tells you which pupils are ready for which. Best English Reading Platforms for ESL Schools compares the main kinds of reading tool side by side.
How iRead handles this
In iRead, every story, quiz and game is levelled to the CEFR, from A1 to C2. Vocabulary and quizzes are mapped to CEFR bands, so a B1 story means the same thing whichever pack it comes from. Four word games are built every 24 hours from the vocabulary of the story the class is reading. Every game clear and quiz answer feeds one progress record per word, and a word cleared on two different days is marked Mastered. Many stories have an audio read-along synced to the text.
The core principle: Choose texts by what your pupils can read in English, not by their age. A sample page and a pencil will tell you more than any level label.
See it in iRead: In iRead, every story, quiz and game is levelled to the CEFR from A1 to C2, and four word games are built daily from the story's vocabulary. Schools can ask for a free pilot with one class.
See the iRead programKey takeaway
Raz-Kids and Epic are built for young readers. For EFL learners, look for texts written for learners, levels tied to the CEFR, and proof on a sample page that your pupils can read them.
Frequently asked questions
Can EFL learners use Raz-Kids or Epic?
Yes, if the texts suit their English. Test a sample page: Day and Bamford (2002) suggest that more than one or two unknown words per page may be too many for beginners. Ask the vendor how its levels relate to the CEFR, since the owner pages we checked do not say.
Do Raz-Kids levels match CEFR levels?
The Learning A-Z pages we checked in October 2026 describe 29 levels of reading difficulty and do not mention the CEFR. Ask Learning A-Z directly how its levels relate to the CEFR levels of your course, then check the answer with a sample page.
Why do EFL learners need graded readers?
Because readers need to know nearly all the words on a page to read without help. Hu and Nation (2000) put the figure at about 98% for adult learners. Day and Bamford (2002) suggest that all but advanced learners probably need texts written or adapted for language learners.
Is a free reading library worth using alongside a graded program?
It can be. According to Epic's website, its Epic School plan is free and gives access to about 20,000 books on weekdays during school hours. A free library can widen choice for strong readers, while graded texts carry the core reading program.
What matters more for choosing texts: age or English level?
English level comes first, because the pupil must know nearly all the words to read without help. Age still matters for content. A teenager reading at A2 needs simple language in a story written for an older reader, not a picture book for small children.
Sources
- Learning A-Z (LAZEL, Inc.) (n.d.). About Raz-Kids. Raz-Kids website (checked October 2026). www.raz-kids.com/main/aboutrazkids/
- Learning A-Z (LAZEL, Inc.) (n.d.). Discover our reading solution. Raz-Kids website (checked October 2026). www.raz-kids.com/main/ViewPage/name/reading-solution
- Epic Kids Inc. (n.d.). Educators. Epic website (checked October 2026). www.getepic.com/educators
- Grabe, W. (2009). Reading in a Second Language: Moving from Theory to Practice. Cambridge University Press. doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139150484
- 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
- Hu, M. H.-C., & Nation, P. (2000). Unknown vocabulary density and reading comprehension. Reading in a Foreign Language, 13(1), 403-430. doi.org/10.64152/10125/66973
- Kremmel, B., Indrarathne, B., Kormos, J., & Suzuki, S. (2023). Unknown vocabulary density and reading comprehension: Replicating Hu and Nation (2000). Language Learning, 73(4), 1127-1163. doi.org/10.1111/lang.12622