Raz-Kids is a digital reading platform designed for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Built by Learning A-Z, it gives kids access to a large online library of leveled books they can read, listen to, and take quizzes on, all from a computer or tablet. Schools use it as a core part of their literacy instruction, and families can also purchase subscriptions for home use.
How the Platform Works
At its core, Raz-Kids is a digital library organized by reading difficulty. A teacher (or parent) assigns a student a starting reading level, and the student logs into a portal where they can browse and open books at that level. Each book can be listened to with audio narration, read independently, or both. After finishing a book, the student takes a short comprehension quiz to check understanding.
The platform uses its own leveling system, labeled aa through Z2, spanning pre-readers all the way through advanced fifth graders. These levels are certified against Lexile measures through a partnership with MetaMetrics, so educators can cross-reference them with other reading assessments. For example, a second grader reading at levels K through P would fall roughly in the 510L to 850L Lexile range, while a kindergartner at levels aa through C would be in the BR70 to 160L range.
Books are also available in Spanish, with a parallel set of levels and Lexile correlations, making the platform useful in bilingual or dual-language classrooms.
The Student Experience
Students log into a portal where they can find books by topic, category, or popularity, and save favorites for later. The interface offers two design options: a newer customizable layout or the original space-themed design that many kids already know.
Raz-Kids leans heavily on gamification to keep young readers motivated. Students earn stars for completing reading and quiz activities, and those stars unlock options to customize a personal avatar. As they hit milestones, they also earn badges. For kids in the early elementary years especially, this reward loop can turn reading practice into something they actually want to do on their own, which is a big part of the platform’s appeal.
Reading Levels From Kindergarten to Fifth Grade
The leveling system is one of the most important features for educators. Here is how the Learning A-Z levels map to grade levels and approximate Lexile ranges for English texts:
- Kindergarten: Levels aa through C (BR70 to 160L)
- First grade: Levels D through J (160L to 530L)
- Second grade: Levels K through P (510L to 850L)
- Third grade: Levels Q through T (660L to 940L)
- Fourth grade: Levels U through W (820L to 1030L)
- Fifth grade: Levels X through Z (890L to 1080L)
- Fifth grade and above: Levels Z1 through Z2 (920L to 1120L)
Teachers can move students up or down through these levels based on quiz performance and their own judgment. The overlapping Lexile ranges between grades reflect the reality that reading ability doesn’t jump neatly from one grade to the next. A strong second grader and a struggling third grader might be reading the same books, and the platform accommodates that without making it obvious to the student.
What Teachers and Administrators See
The teacher side of Raz-Kids provides reporting tools that track how students are using the platform and how they are performing. Teachers can view student usage data, skill reports, and assignment completion through the Kids A-Z portal. Administrators get a broader view with reports covering usage, skills, and assignments across multiple classrooms.
The platform also includes a speech recognition tool, which lets students record themselves reading aloud. The system evaluates the recording, and results appear in teacher reports alongside quiz data. This gives teachers a window into fluency, not just comprehension, which is harder to assess with traditional quizzes alone.
Learning A-Z has been rolling out reporting updates throughout 2025, expanding the data available to both teachers and administrators. Dashboard views, assessment summaries, and level-up tracking are among the features being added to give a fuller picture of student progress over time.
Raz-Kids vs. Raz-Plus
You will often see Raz-Kids mentioned alongside Raz-Plus, and the distinction matters if you are deciding what to buy. Raz-Kids is the reading-focused product: leveled books, quizzes, and the student portal. Raz-Plus bundles Raz-Kids with additional resources like printable books, lesson plans, worksheets, and other tools geared toward classroom instruction. Most schools that invest in the platform go with Raz-Plus for the fuller toolkit, while Raz-Kids alone may suit families or tutors who just need the digital library.
Pricing and Subscriptions
Learning A-Z sells licenses on an annual basis, either per educator (covering one classroom of up to 36 students) or per family. Pricing is listed in the online store and can change, so the company directs buyers to check current rates on its website. Organizations purchasing 10 or more educator licenses in a single transaction may qualify for bulk pricing through a custom quote.
Each product requires its own license, so a school that wants both Raz-Kids and a separate Learning A-Z product would need to purchase them individually. Free trials are typically available, which is worth taking advantage of before committing to a full year, especially for families who want to see whether their child will actually use it consistently.
Who Benefits Most
Raz-Kids works best when a student uses it regularly, ideally several times a week. For teachers, it solves a practical problem: getting every student in a mixed-ability classroom reading at their own level without needing a separate physical book bin for each group. The digital format also means students can practice at home, on a tablet during independent reading time, or anywhere with an internet connection.
For parents, the platform is most useful as a supplement to what is already happening at school. If your child’s teacher uses Raz-Kids in the classroom, your child already has a login and a level assignment. If you are purchasing it independently, you will need to set the reading level yourself, which means having a rough sense of where your child falls. The Lexile correlation chart can help if your child has taken a reading assessment that produced a Lexile score.
The platform is less suited for older students or very advanced readers who have outgrown the Z2 ceiling. It is purpose-built for the K through 5 range, and the content reflects that in both reading complexity and subject matter.