Paper, the leading Educational Support and tutoring provider, has recently acquired Readlee, an innovative learning tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and speech recognition technology to help students improve their reading skills.
Post the acquisition, Readlee will become Paper Reading, fully integrated into Paper’s ESS (educational support system) and available to over 3 million students nationwide. The tool listens to students as they read aloud and provides immediate feedback, individualized support, and measurable success. The platform uses the latest in AI, speech recognition, and learning science, which shows that reading aloud improves memory, vocabulary, and confidence.
Commenting on the acquisition, Co-founder & CEO of Paper, Philip Cutler, said:
This acquisition reflects our commitment to providing the academic support that empowers students throughout every stage of their learning journey. Improving literacy proficiency is an essential component of our mission, and we believe research-backed technology and repeated practice are the keys to addressing the mounting literacy crisis.
Cutler further added:
We are excited to join our forces and aligned missions to have an even bigger impact on students. Our teams are already working together to change the future of education. Our mission is to help create a world where everyone can read, learn, and become a success.
Paper’s acquisition of Readlee will allow the two companies to combine their expertise and resources to develop even more innovative solutions to the literacy crisis.
Co-founded by Philip Cutler and Roberto Cipriani, Paper offers an unlimited, on-demand Educational Support System (ESS) that includes 1:1 virtual tutoring, a Review Center for writing assignments, MajorClarity college and career support, Paper Reading, and Paper Missions —a math gamification tool to hone essential skills. The platform’s highly qualified educators provide an instructional framework emphasizing inquiry-based learning to empower students to pursue lifelong learning and prepare for life after school. Multilingual academic support is available in English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin.
The startup serves over 3 million students from about 300 unique school districts across 41 US states and Canada. Its recent statewide partnerships with Mississippi and Tennessee added about 200 additional sections to this total.
Speaking about the latest development, Co-founder of Readlee and Paper’s Head of Impact, Drew Madson, said:
Literacy is the foundation of transformational education. A lifetime of opportunity is lost when a person can’t read. Paper shares our commitment to positively impacting the literacy rate and improving learners’ confidence nationwide.
Redlee, founded by two educators in collaboration with Harvard researchers, is a digital platform dedicated to solving the literacy crisis for students and teachers. Its speech-integrated system personalizes reading instruction for learners by listening to them read any text out loud and immediately providing feedback. It saves teachers time and offers impactful data (accuracy, pace, completion percentage, etc.). The company aims to provide equitable access to its tech so all students, regardless of background or circumstance, will become avid and proficient readers.
Adding further about the deal, Co-founder of Redlee & Paper’s Head of Literacy, Steve Askar, said:
Integrating Readlee into Paper’s Educational Support System as Paper Reading will allow the tool to reach millions of students. US students face a literacy crisis partly driven by pandemic-related learning losses. Getting practical reading tools into the hands of students is a critical step to addressing the issue.
According to the statistics, students who engage in reading-aloud exercises 20 minutes a day are likely to score better than 90% of their peers on standardized tests. The company said that Paper Reading will allow students to practice reading aloud from any content in any subject.
