Students don't just use Shoelace. They choose to. Our game-based platform adapts reading complexity in real-time, turning reluctant readers into engaged learners.
How It Works
Every element of Shoelace is designed with one goal: getting students who've checked out to choose to read complex text.
An immersive fantasy world where reading is the game mechanic. Students explore, challenge, and progress, all powered by comprehension and vocabulary mastery.
A racing game that embeds reading practice into high-speed gameplay. Students answer reading questions to boost their speed and win races.
Our adaptive algorithm that keeps every student in their zone of proximal development: never too hard, never too easy, always engaging.
The intervention system that identifies struggling students automatically and delivers targeted support through gameplay, with no extra teacher work required.
The Games
An immersive 3D world where reading is the currency of progress. Students create characters, explore realms, challenge creatures, and build, all through literacy practice.
The Games
A fast-paced racing game where reading powers your speed. Students answer vocabulary and comprehension questions to boost their car and win races against classmates.
The Technology
Our adaptive algorithm is the brain behind Shoelace. It ensures every student is always working at exactly the right level.
We measure mastery through gameplay, not formal tests. Students don't feel "tested." They're just playing. But we're gathering rich data on every skill.
Questions automatically adjust to keep students at the edge of their ability. Too easy = bored. Too hard = frustrated. Just right = growth.
The engine responds instantly to student performance. Every answer informs the next question. Personalization happens in milliseconds.
The Intervention System
The feature that turns data into action. My Coach™ identifies students who need intervention and delivers it automatically through gameplay, not pull-out sessions.
Dashboard shows exactly which students need attention and why. No analysis required. The system flags concerns automatically.
Targeted skill practice delivered as game content. Students get extra support without feeling singled out or remediated.
Identifies Struggling Students
Detects patterns that indicate a student needs extra support
Diagnoses Specific Gaps
Pinpoints exactly which skills need work (morphology, syntax, vocabulary, etc.)
Delivers Targeted Practice
Adjusts game content to address gaps through engaged practice
Alerts Teachers
Flags students who need human attention, with context and recommendations
The Content
Games that engage, content that teaches. Every question is designed by literacy experts to build real skills.
Roots, prefixes, suffixes, developed with Dr. Hélène Deacon of Dalhousie University
Sentence-level comprehension activities that build grammatical awareness
Vocabulary instruction using the tiered approach from "Bringing Words to Life"
Authentic passages with questions that build toward college and career readiness
Schedule a demo to see how the platform can transform literacy engagement in your schools.
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