Project Read Offers Free Access to Virtual AI Tutor Through End of School Year to Combat Learning Loss During Widespread Disruptions
The platform, trusted by 150 school districts in the U.S. and thousands of schools around the world, now offers free access to its AI-powered, student-facing tutor to help prevent learning loss as community uncertainty keeps students out of classrooms.
SAINT PAUL, Minn., Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Project Read, an AI-powered literacy platform used by schools nationwide, today announces it will offer free access to its Project Read AI Tutor through June 2026 for any family, educator, or school supporting remote learning of immigrant students.
The decision comes amid growing evidence that immigration-related attendance disruptions are affecting student learning nationwide. A peer-reviewed study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found a 22% increase in daily student absences in affected communities, with the largest increases among the youngest students. Separately, an EdWeek Research Center survey found that 75% of educators report negative impacts on learning amongst affected immigrant students.
For young students, particularly those learning to read, even short disruptions can have lasting consequences. Researchers and educators have also long noted that literacy gaps disproportionately affect multilingual learners and students from immigrant families, who are more likely to experience interrupted schooling and reduced access to individualized reading support. When instructional time is lost during the critical years when students are learning to read, those gaps widen.
Project Read's goal is simple: help emerging readers continue learning, even when classroom attendance is inconsistent.
From Local Response to National Support Initiative
Project Read has already been working closely with school district partners in the Twin Cities to support remote and at-home learning as families make difficult decisions about whether to send their children to school. To better support multilingual learners and their families, for example, the organization translated resources within its AI tutor, which is used across the St. Paul Public Schools district.
"We've truly appreciated our partnership with Project Read. We hope this resource helps students continue learning, no matter where they are," said Sue Braithwaite, District Literacy Lead for St. Paul Public Schools.
That localized response is now being extended nationwide, ensuring families across the country can access literacy support regardless of where their children can safely learn.
How the Project Read AI Tutor Works
Project Read's AI Tutor is a student-facing virtual literacy tool designed to support continuous blending, a foundational skill for students learning to decode words. The tutor listens as students read decodable text aloud, provides immediate corrective feedback at the phoneme level, and adapts instruction in real time based on mastery within the University of Florida Literacy Initiative (UFLI) scope and sequence. By advancing students only when they demonstrate mastery, the AI Tutor delivers individualized pacing—a critical advantage during periods of disrupted instruction.
"Project Read was built on a simple conviction: literacy is a human right," said Vivek Ramakrishnan, Co-Founder and CEO at Project Read. "Throughout my teaching career, I saw firsthand how literacy unlocks doors in school and in life beyond it. Our AI Tutor can help mitigate the learning loss that occurs when students are not at school. Teachers are doing everything they can to support students learning from home, and our role is to make sure no learner is left behind because of circumstances beyond their control."
Proven Impact
In an independent study conducted by Dr. Matthew Burns at the University of Florida, first-grade students using the Project Read AI Tutor demonstrated significant gains in reading outcomes. Below-average readers showed an effect size of 0.90—equivalent to moving from the 50th to the 82nd percentile in oral reading fluency growth—while all readers showed an effect size of 0.65, equivalent to moving from the 50th to the 74th percentile.
Accessing the Tutor
Project Read has created a scholarship form (Spanish version here) for educators and families with students whose attendance at school has been affected. Once access to Project Read's AI Tutor is granted, families are provided with tutorials on how to use the program at home.
"In moments when communities feel vulnerable," Ramakrishnan added, "we want to be clear: we are here for all learners."
ABOUT PROJECT READ
Project Read is an AI-powered literacy platform trusted by 150 school districts in the U.S. and thousands of schools around the world. Founded by former teachers, Project Read is on a mission to solve the literacy crisis by empowering educators with its evidence-based literacy tools. Its AI Tutor provides a student-facing virtual literacy tool that listens, adapts, and delivers targeted phonics practice. By combining research-based methods with cutting-edge AI, Project Read allows teachers to deliver engaging, personalized instruction aligned with their curriculum.
To learn more about Project Read, visit projectread.ai.
MEDIA CONTACT
Tess Pawlisch
608-333-9788
[email protected]
SOURCE Project Read
Share this article