Can Your Fourth Grader Read This? Colorado is Making Sure They Can with IXL.

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Mar 11, 2025, 08:15 ET

IXL's approval as a K-3 supplemental reading program means that schools can use state funds to invest in the proven literacy solution

DENVER, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Colorado just took another step toward making reading a reality for more young learners. The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) has approved IXL as a supplemental K-3 reading program, giving eligible districts access to state funding to purchase IXL Language Arts. Already used by 160,000 Colorado students, IXL's engaging, research-backed platform boosts essential reading skills.

"Reading opens doors for students, and Colorado is making it a priority to give every child that opportunity," said Paul Mishkin, CEO of IXL Learning. "We're proud to support Colorado schools with a program that meets learners where they are and helps them grow into confident readers."

Unlocking literacy, unlocking opportunity
Reading isn't just a skill—it's the foundation for future success. That's why Colorado has spent over a decade prioritizing early literacy through the READ Act, which ensures that schools provide evidence-based instruction so students can read with ease. With IXL, districts now have a powerful new tool to improve every learner's reading abilities.

Building strong readers from the ground up
IXL helps students build foundational reading skills step by step: Learners start by recognizing rhymes and syllables, then move on to blending sounds, mastering phonics and strengthening comprehension. Engaging stories across different genres spark curiosity and make learning fun. Plus, IXL's Learn to Read and Reading Intervention skill plans provide educators with a clear roadmap to close literacy gaps systematically.

The IXL Diagnostic ensures students are always working at the right level. It pinpoints their reading proficiency to the nearest tenth of a grade and generates a personalized action plan with the IXL skills they need to work on to improve. Teachers can use this precise data to provide exactly the right support and make lessons even more impactful.

Personalized support, every step of the way
Reading instruction is most effective when it's explicit and reinforced with clear examples. IXL supports this approach with over 1,200 video tutorials that break down concepts in an easy-to-follow way. For example, phonics videos show students how to feel the shape of their mouths to identify sounds. And if students make a mistake, IXL doesn't just mark it wrong—it explains why and guides them towards the right answer. This kind of personalized instruction builds confidence and helps students learn independently.

Proven to boost literacy
IXL delivers real results. Research shows that K-3 students who use IXL ELA consistently perform better on the Star Early Literacy Assessment and achieve higher reading levels. The impact isn't limited to early learners: A recent Colorado study found that students in grades 3-8 who used IXL outperformed their peers on the 2023 Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) ELA assessment.

About IXL
Currently used by 16 million students and in 96 of the top 100 U.S. school districts, IXL is an all-inclusive educational platform that provides a comprehensive PK-12 curriculum and instructional resources, actionable analytics and a state-of-the-art assessment suite. Available in over 80 languages, IXL's end-to-end teaching and learning solution supports personalized instruction in math, English language arts, science, social studies and Spanish. With more than 160 billion questions asked and answered around the world, IXL is helping schools and parents successfully boost student achievement. The IXL Learning family of products also includes Rosetta Stone, Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com, TPT, SpanishDictionary.com, inglés.com, FrenchDictionary.com, Wyzant, Vocabulary.com, ABCya, Education.com and Carson Dellosa Education. To learn more about IXL, visit www.ixl.com, facebook.com/IXL and x.com/IXLLearning.