Literal App: You'll Never See Reading the Same Way Again

In middle and high school, I struggled with understanding what I read. Anything that I read didn't make sense or if it did make sense, I quickly forgot it. I was bored with reading at times and zoned out. 

Reading comprehension can be difficult for many of our students to master because reading requires so many different elements. For instance, students may need help with vocabulary usage, background understanding, and staying interested in the content.

The Literal App could be a great solution! The website states, "Literal turns popular books into a digital reading experience that’s 68% more engaging than social media. It’s addicting (in a good way)."

How Does It Work?

Teachers and students have access to 500 free books presented in an interactive group text-messaging format. Each character has their own picture, and students can access an audio version of the group text being read aloud. There are four different reading modes, support tools for translation, a dictionary, and a paid version with more books and features.

Want to see it in action? Check out my brief video!

Conclusion

Literal may be a great solution to keep students engaged or add an additional scaffold and support in your classroom. Students are highly variable in how they learn and comprehend information. This tool could provide students with an alternative medium to build comprehension and important background knowledge to successfully understand and participate in reading assignments. 

Matt Bergman (2023)