Reading Platform · Grades K–5

Raz-Kids

Leveled digital reading library with comprehension quizzes and voice recording

Owned by: Cambium Learning / Veritas CapitalFirm

800+
Leveled books
29
Reading levels
5 yrs
Age of youngest users
95%
of U.S. districts served by Veritas portfolio

Raz-Kids (produced by Learning A-Z, a brand of Cambium Learning Group) gives students access to 800+ leveled digital books across 29 reading levels, with built-in comprehension quizzes and a fluency tool that records children reading aloud. Cambium Learning is owned by Veritas Capital, a firm whose education portfolio also includes HMH, DreamBox, NWEA (MAP testing), Blackboard, and Anthology — positioning a single firm across a student's entire educational data lifecycle.

The Full Picture

The Good

  • Large library of leveled texts that classroom book collections rarely match in breadth or currency
  • Read-aloud recording feature lets teachers assess fluency asynchronously — useful for differentiation across large classes
  • Self-paced format allows struggling readers to hear a text multiple times before attempting independently
  • Available in Spanish, supporting English Language Learner instruction
  • iKeepSafe-certified for FERPA, COPPA, and California Student Privacy (CSPC) compliance

The Bad

  • Screen-based reading produces measurably shallower comprehension than print — a 2024 meta-analysis of 49 studies confirmed a persistent "screen inferiority effect" for children and adolescents
  • Gamified leveling (stars, points, advancement badges) can shift motivation from reading for meaning to reading for reward
  • Fluency assessment via recorded reading removes the real-time instructional conversation between teacher and child that drives genuine growth
  • Platform-directed reading (assigned books, assigned levels) can displace child-selected reading, which is the strongest predictor of reading volume and lifelong enjoyment
  • Rigid leveling has attracted scholarly criticism — a 2019 analysis in Educational Researcher found it can suppress student motivation and discourage independent book selection

The Worse

  • Voice recordings of children are collected and stored on Learning A-Z servers — children as young as 5 are recorded reading aloud; audio biometric data of minors is among the most sensitive personal data categories
  • Cambium Learning (Veritas Capital) also owns HMH, NWEA, Blackboard, and Anthology — a single firm potentially controlling a student's curriculum, assessment, LMS, and records simultaneously
  • Veritas Capital is a defense-sector firm with a fiduciary obligation to investors, not to children — data is an asset on its balance sheet
  • Industry self-certifications (iKeepSafe, FERPA Safe Harbor) are not government enforcement; they are paid certifications with limited independent auditing
  • Data collected includes: student name, login activity, time-on-task, reading rate, quiz scores, written responses, voice recordings, and device/browser information — a detailed behavioral dataset on children starting at age 5

Privacy & Data

Owner

Cambium Learning Group / Veritas Capital (firm, acquired 2018)

Data collected

Student name, grade, login activity, reading rate, quiz results, open-text responses, browser/device data, and voice recordings

Certifications

iKeepSafe FERPA, COPPA Safe Harbor, CSPC — industry self-certifications, not government enforcement

Regulatory actions

No FTC fines on record specifically for Learning A-Z. Certifications do not preclude data use for product development.

Voice recordings of children as young as 5 are stored on firm-owned servers. Retention policies, security audits, and secondary uses of this biometric data are not independently verified. Ask LMSD for the signed data processing agreement and the data deletion schedule.

What Raz-Kids Replaces

Raz-Kids digital reading
replaces ↓
Physical leveled readers and classroom book collections children can hold, browse, and keep
Automated quiz assessment
replaces ↓
Teacher-led guided reading groups with real-time instructional conversation
Gamified fluency recordings
replaces ↓
Child-selected library books — the strongest predictor of reading volume and enjoyment
Platform reading time
replaces ↓
Print reading, which research consistently shows produces deeper comprehension

Questions for LMSD

What is the contractual data retention and deletion schedule for student voice recordings stored by Learning A-Z? Who has audited compliance?
Has LMSD reviewed the full Cambium Learning data processing agreement, including data use for "product improvement and research"? Can that clause be opted out of?
Given the emerging research on screen-based reading comprehension deficits, has LMSD evaluated whether Raz-Kids usage correlates with improved or worsened reading outcomes for LMSD students specifically?
How many minutes per week are LMSD elementary students spending on Raz-Kids, and how does that displace time that could be spent reading physical books?

Sources & Further Reading

  • "Paper versus Screen: The Unresolved Conflict in Children's and Adolescents' Learning Processes." The Journal of Pediatrics (2025). jpeds.com
  • Shanahan, T. "Comprehension Better with Digital Text?" Reading Rockets / Shanahan on Literacy. readingrockets.org
  • Learning A-Z Children's Privacy Policy. help.learninga-z.com
  • EdWeek Market Brief: "Veritas Capital Portfolio in K-12 Education." marketbrief.edweek.org

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