Ridgewood AI class project aims to help youth with reading

Reading is one of the earliest skills students are expected to master, yet across the United States, more children are falling behind. National data shows nearly 40% of fourth-graders are reading at a below basic level, the lowest performance in more than two decades. This decline has raised concerns among educators, families and policymakers, as early literacy is closely tied to long-term academic success.

At Ridgewood Middle School, this national trend is not just a statistic; it is a reality visible in local classrooms. In the Ridgewood Local School District, more than half of the current fourth grade class is on a reading improvement plan, indicating significant struggles with foundational literacy skills. These challenges often follow students as they progress through school, affecting performance across all subject areas.

Because reading is a foundation to success in every academic subject, students who fall behind early often struggle across math, science and social studies as coursework becomes more demanding. For a group of seven senior girls in the Ridgewood AI class, seeing these patterns firsthand sparked a sense of urgency. Rather than viewing the literacy gap as an inevitable problem beyond their control, the students saw it as a call to action. They wanted to be a part of something bigger and help children everywhere.

Their response was Reading Reimagined, a project designed to explore how technology could be used to better support struggling readers in their own community and beyond. It is an adaptive learning platform built around 10 distinct reading levels. Unlike traditional reading programs that rely on standardized materials, Reading Reimagined uses generative artificial intelligence to create personalized stories tailored to each student’s assessed reading ability and interests.

Reading Reimagined begins with a short assessment to determine a student’s reading level, after which students create personalized stories on the platform. They help shape the plot, characters and setting while answering comprehension questions that guide how the story unfolds, turning reading into an interactive experience rather than a passive task. Completed stories can be printed and shared, giving students a sense of accomplishment and ownership over their learning.

The program also includes a voice-based feature that listens to students as they read aloud, evaluating fluency and pronunciation and adjusting practice based on individual needs. Designed to support — not replace — teachers, the platform tracks student progress and provides data that can help teachers identify learning trends, monitor improvement and focus their instructional time where it is most needed. By automating story creation and differentiation, the tool helps reduce the burden on teachers while enhancing individualized instruction.

In addition to addressing literacy, the project represents a broader educational approach that blends technology, literacy, creativity, child development and data analysis. The interdisciplinary nature of Reading Reimagined reflects a growing emphasis on real-world problem-solving and innovation within modern classrooms.

The project has already gained recognition beyond the local level. Reading Reimagined is being presented through Ohio Excels 12th, a statewide initiative that highlights innovative student work and career readiness. The team also has been selected to present at a Title I Conference, where educators and administrators focus on supporting schools and students with the greatest academic needs. In addition, the project has been entered into the Presidential AI Challenge, a national competition that showcases student-led artificial intelligence solutions with real-world impact.

The project is rooted in a firsthand understanding of how limited access to individualized academic support can affect student outcomes. By leveraging technology, they aim to expand access to meaningful literacy instruction for communities facing similar challenges.

As literacy rates continue to decline nationwide, projects like Reading Reimagined demonstrate how student-led innovation can play a role in addressing complex educational problems. What began as a classroom assignment at Ridgewood High School has grown into a developing tool with the potential to support readers across classrooms, districts and communities — and to reimagine what literacy instruction can look like in the age of artificial intelligence.