Frequently Asked Questions

Magpie Literacy is a research-based, technology-enabled reading program designed to unlock the great reader in every child. Our mission is to eradicate illiteracy in America by reaching students across the country, regardless of zip code, with personalized, developmentally precise literacy instruction.

We offer a comprehensive K–8 solution that combines engaging digital lessons, adaptive games, and validated assessments. Our K–2 program delivers systematic, evidence-based foundational reading instruction, while our 3–8 program (currently in development) will focus on helping older students master multisyllabic decoding, morphology, and fluency—the “decoding threshold” skills essential for comprehension.

Yes. Magpie Literacy is grounded in the science of reading and developed in partnership with leading researchers and educators. Our academic framework draws on decades of research in phonemic awareness, decoding, morphology, and fluency, and our tools are co-designed and validated in classrooms that serve a variety of learners.

Magpie collaborates with Stanford University, SUNY Buffalo, UC Irvine, and other research institutions through Reading Reimagined’s $40 million national research initiative. Every component of our program—from instructional videos to assessments—is designed to align with proven cognitive and linguistic models of how children learn to read.

Yes. Independent studies confirm that Magpie accelerates literacy growth.

• A quasi-experimental study with Mathematica in a large anchor district in Texas found that kindergarten students using Magpie for 8+ weeks made statistically significant gains on DIBELS and Stanford’s ROAR assessments, especially those in the lowest proficiency quartile. These results meet ESSA Tier 2 evidence standards, and a randomized controlled trial (Tier 1) is launching in SY25–26 to further validate efficacy.
• In Little Rock Public Schools, Magpie users showed large improvements in letter-sound knowledge and phonological awareness, with the strongest gains among struggling readers.

Magpie Literacy combines the science of reading with cutting-edge technology to deliver instruction that is both precise and joyful. Unlike many digital reading tools that focus narrowly on comprehension or phonics, Magpie provides an integrated K–8 solution that spans the full continuum of literacy development—from letter-sound correspondence to multisyllabic decoding and academic vocabulary.

Several features set Magpie apart:

• Validated Assessments: Stanford’s Rapid Online Assessment of Reading (ROAR) is embedded directly in the platform, giving educators reliable data on student progress.
• Community-centered Design: Magpie’s research and co-design processes center students historically excluded from literacy research, ensuring the product works for all learners, not just the already-advantaged.

The result is a tool that teachers trust, students love, and research shows makes a measurable difference in reading growth.

Yes. Every element of Magpie Literacy aligns with the science of reading and the structured literacy frameworks that underpin most state reading initiatives. The program’s instructional sequence explicitly addresses the five essential components of reading—phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension—and integrates morphology and multisyllabic decoding to support older readers.

Magpie’s assessments and instruction also align with state and federal accountability requirements:

• The ROAR benchmark assessment meets criteria for state screening in multiple states, including Arkansas, Minnesota, Ohio, and California, with additional approvals pending.
• Instructional content and pacing correspond to state literacy standards and evidence-based intervention models used in Tier 1 and Tier 2 instruction.

By pairing validated research with compliance-ready infrastructure, Magpie ensures that districts implementing science-of-reading policies can do so confidently, efficiently, and at scale.