📚 Reading apps and reading coaches · 🧸 Early learning (ages 2-6)
Boost Reading
By Amplify Education, Inc.. Visit Boost Reading
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
Boost Reading is a school reading intervention for kindergarten to grade 5. Students log in at school and work through story-driven reading skill games covering phonics, decoding, spelling, vocabulary and comprehension, in the same order as Amplify's CKLA curriculum. The program adapts practice to each child, and teachers get trouble-spot reports and printable small-group lessons. Amplify suggests about 30 minutes of use a week. A Spanish version, Boost Lectura, covers K-2.
Our take: Worth asking about if your child's school uses Amplify CKLA or mCLASS; families cannot buy it on their own.
| Ages it suits | grades K-5 (about 5-11) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | School-only. For children under 13, Amplify relies on the school to consent on the parent's behalf under COPPA. (terms) |
| Price | Through schools. School pricing, not public (Oct 2026). |
| Works on | Web, Chromebook |
| Account | A school account |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | Adaptive practice adjusts to each student's level; the maker does not describe it as AI. |
What's good
- Follows a clear phonics sequence
- Short weekly time ask
- Teacher reports point to specific skill gaps
- Spanish version for early grades
Watch for
- Only available through schools
- Evidence comes from the maker
- Works best alongside Amplify's other programs
Data and privacy
The school owns student data and Amplify acts as a FERPA school official; it records students' game interactions to track progress. Amplify says it does not sell student data or use it for targeted ads, and may use de-identified data for research and product work. No statement on AI training found. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
The maker's own study, which it says meets ESSA's moderate (Tier 2) criteria: about 65% of at-risk kindergartners using Boost reached benchmark versus 48% of a matched comparison group. We found no independent evaluation.
In the Big Index
Alternatives to Boost Reading
Desk researchPaidNo ads
ABCmouse
Age of Learning, Inc. · ages about 2-6 (preschool to kindergarten)
A full preschool program for families who want one paid app; cancel carefully and watch the reward loop.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
ABCya
ABCya.com LLC (a division of IXL Learning) · ages about 4-12 (pre-K to grade 6+)
Handy for quick grade-level practice in class or at home; skip if you want an ad-free experience without paying.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Adventure Academy
Age of Learning, Inc. · ages grades 3-8 (about 8-13)
Good for kids who love online games and need a nudge toward school subjects; families wanting no social contact should set chat to off or choose a solo app.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Amazon Kids+ and Parent Dashboard
Amazon · ages 3-12
A good-value bundle for families already on Amazon devices with kids 3-12; skip it if your child mostly uses an iPad or a phone.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
AmblesideOnline
AmblesideOnline (volunteer advisory) · ages about 5-18 (Year 0 to Year 12)
A strong free plan for homeschool families drawn to Charlotte Mason and literature-rich learning; secular families or those wanting an interactive program should look elsewhere.
Desk researchThrough schoolsNo ads
Amira Learning
Amira Learning · ages about 5-14 (school product; listed studies run from kindergarten to middle school)
Worth asking about if your child's school uses it; parents cannot buy it, so home users should look at family apps instead.
Where these facts come from
- https://amplify.com/
- https://amplify.com/programs/boost-reading/
- https://amplify.com/customer-privacy/
- https://amplify.com/site-terms/
- https://amplify.com/pdf/uploads/2023/03/BR_EfficacyData_OrangePaper_032323_v1_web.pdf
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.