Microsoft is taking its reading-focused AI tutoring tools beyond just the Teams for Education platform. The company is releasing Reading Coach as a standalone app to provide personalized literacy instruction for students both in class and at home.
Powered by artificial intelligence, Reading Coach gives real-time feedback during reading sessions to boost comprehension and pronunciation. By tracking common mispronounced or misunderstood words, the app can flag areas needing improvement for each learner. To keep kids engaged, Reading Coach also inserts “choose your own adventure”-style prompts to let readers alter storylines mid-session.
For teachers, the app enables better insights into student reading progress and feelings about assignments. The new Reflect tool gathers direct feedback from pupils on how they respond to particular lessons and reading tasks. This grants educators a valuable gauge on engagement levels and what teaching approaches are resonating most versus what needs reworking.
Additional AI enhancements coming to Teams for Education will streamline content generation for digital instruction. Features within the Assignments tool can auto-generate grading rubrics tailored to specific class levels or goals. The Classwork section will leverage AI to emphasize key points in assignment directions based on a teacher’s focus.
By blending personalized and automated features, Microsoft aims to create an adaptive literacy program accessible to more learners in and out of school. While no digital experience fully replicates in-person teaching, capabilities within apps like Reading Coach show promise for measurably improving reading ability with engaging, targeted AI assistance.
Educators can access Reading Coach now through early preview, with general availability expected this spring. For equal access, Microsoft is also building corresponding offline versions for students lacking reliable technology.
