Sprig Learning was honoured to present on two panels and actively participate in the 2025 Canadian EdTech Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit, engaging in meaningful discussions about the latest innovations in education. 

The summit offered a valuable opportunity to connect with educators, thought leaders, and fellow panelists who are deeply committed to advancing equitable, technology-enhanced learning.

Sprig is grateful to everyone for the amazing connections at the summit. Thank you! As a company focused on innovative and equitable solutions in early learning, it’s important to highlight certain insights pertaining to innovation and AI in early literacy. 

Here are some key reflections that emerged from our discussions and ongoing exploration of AI in early literacy, presented via questions:

What is AI in Education and Early Literacy?

AI Definition

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the branch of computer science focused on creating systems that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as understanding language, recognizing patterns, learning from experience, solving problems, making decisions & predictions or creating new content.

Ask yourself: are these tasks already happening in early literacy? Are they currently being performed by AI technology? Can AI assist in being more efficient and effective with these tasks? 

After all, these capabilities are the very essence of AI.

 

What Gets Mistaken for AI in Early Literacy?

Given the surging popularity of AI, there is an inclination to classify and market new innovations in early literacy as possessing AI. 

So before discussing AI in early literacy by listing its current uses, it’s important to state what is not AI in early literacy, or what often gets mistaken as such.

What is Not AI 

• Leveled literacy apps that move students up and down based on correct answers. It follows conditional branching. The progression is rule-based, not data-driven learning or prediction.

• Digital assessments that score right or wrong answers. This includes game-based assessments that analyze student performance and adjust question difficulty based on prior performance.  They generally use algorithms and scoring logic. There is no learning or adaptation. 

 

What are the Current Uses of AI in Early Literacy?

With technology capable of mimicking aspects of the human brain, the potential for AI in early literacy is virtually limitless. 

Still, by examining both existing tools and emerging innovations, it’s possible to identify several key categories:

 

Personalized Reading Assessment and Feedback

AI can listen to a child reading aloud, analyze their speech and identify errors in areas such as decoding, fluency, pronunciation, and provide immediate feedback or flag specific areas for teacher follow-up.

Adaptive & Differentiated Literacy Instruction

AI-driven platforms can continuously learn and tailor reading material and tasks according to a student’s current evolving skill level, preferences, and pace, thus supporting differentiated instruction in a whole class or small-group context.

Supporting Interactive Reading and Caregiver Engagement

AI can prompt and guide teachers or caregivers to engage children in rich, interactive reading conversations such as dialogic reading, which boost comprehension, vocabulary and narrative skills.

Early Literacy Classroom Resource Generation

AI can help teachers create new resources and activities for their students that more accurately reflect their current needs.

 

What Does True AI Mean for Early Literacy?

While AI solutions offer exciting possibilities, it’s essential to consider their implications in PreK-3 settings. 

To truly understand AI and harness its power for the best outcomes for both teachers and students, the following points should be considered.

 

Trust and transparency: Educators should know how data and feedback are generated. AI is only as good as the data it’s trained on, which means issues such as bias must be carefully considered. 

Because AI can scale far beyond traditional systems, it’s essential to clearly define the purpose for which it is being built.

Effectiveness and Human Intelligence: Only adaptive, evidence-based systems can truly personalize instruction. Teachers can use AI but still employ their knowledge and discretion in the classroom.

AI should support teachers in repetitive and time consuming tasks by taking on the heavy lifting, but not by taking their agency away. To find that balance, we need to better understand how effective AI truly can be.

Ethics and Privacy: True AI often requires confidential student data, so security safeguards are essential. 

Schools and developers must ensure that data collection, storage, and use comply with ethical and legal standards, protecting every child’s right to privacy and security.

Equity and Fairness: AI has the potential to close learning gaps, but only if access, design, and deployment are equitable. All students, regardless of background, language, or ability, should benefit from its capabilities. 

If the best technology remains out of reach for a large part of society, its benefits lose their meaning.

 

What is the Future of AI in Early Literacy?

Sprig Learning  believes that AI will take us closer to bridging the early literacy gap. Right now, access often depends on where a child lives, their home language, or classroom resources. 

AI could change that by acting as a personal reading companion, noticing struggles, adapting lessons, and supporting learning in any language, at any time!

Used thoughtfully, AI can make high-quality early literacy support available to every child, giving them a fair shot at success.

 

What Should We Be Mindful of as There is More Innovation?

“The one thing we must protect as we innovate with AI is human connection, especially for our most marginalized students.” says Jarrett Laughlin, CEO of Sprig Learning.

AI can do incredible things, but literacy and learning are deeply human. Children facing poverty, bias, disability, or language barriers need to be seen, heard, and believed in by caring adults.

Jarrett further adds “Our goal should be for AI to strengthen, not replace, human relationships, freeing teachers to connect more deeply and reflecting the voices of the communities it serves. Innovation without empathy and equity isn’t progress, it’s just more technology.”

 

The Need for Data in Early Literacy

One thing AI cannot function without is data. Without it, knowledge stagnates and the system becomes little more than pre-programmed software. 

This raises a key question: are there early literacy systems that provide the mechanism for continuous, actionable data? 

Sprig Reading answers this by enabling teachers to track progress across over 200 foundational reading skills, creating a steady stream of formative assessment data to inform instructional decisions.

Sprig Reading 4.0 is here! It tracks every foundational reading skill, pairing assessments with instructional guidance and multimedia note-taking. Each skill comes with its own tailored activities and resources to support learning. Discover how it works and try it today.

Phonics provides the essential building blocks for early reading, but early learners need more to truly thrive. 

This blog looks at how small shifts in instruction, attention to broader reading skills, and thoughtful support can help struggling readers make further progress. 

It also highlights the value of early interventions and explores the factors that make this approach effective. 

 

Phonics as a Foundation

In evidence-based early literacy, explicit and systematic phonics instruction, paired with phonological awareness, is vital to early reading success.

This structured approach provides early readers, especially those at risk, with the decoding skills to tackle unfamiliar words. It’s the foundation on which many other reading skills can develop.

Core reading instruction must therefore provide adequate instruction and practice in phonics and phonological awareness skills. There is no way around it. 

But what if a child is still struggling in their reading journey?

 

Means of Further Improvement

While phonics matters, many struggling readers need additional layers of support:

 

Modify Phonics Instruction Itself

Spelling instruction enhances phonics by reinforcing sound–symbol patterns. Research indicates that interventions which include spelling yield larger gains. 

Thus when teaching phonics, it’s important to include a practice component that involves writing the words out.

Focus on Other Foundational Reading Skills

Reading fluency and comprehension require time, practice, and meaningful language exposure beyond decoding. 

Afterall, in Scarborough’s Rope, there are two strands, word decoding and language comprehension. Thus, in order for fluency and comprehension to develop, oral language and vocabulary play a big role. These reading skills must also be covered in the class.

 

Ensure Instruction and Practice are Engaging

Motivational practices, such as using high-interest texts, offering student choice, or integrating game-like elements, further boost reading outcomes. 

Thus, the importance of engaging instruction and practice cannot be stressed enough. 

While systematic and explicit instruction forms the base, making learning engaging ensures students pay attention and  practice these concepts until they are truly mastered.

Phonics instruction is adapted, other skills are addressed, and the learning experience is kept engaging throughout. This strategy can uplift many early learners by giving them a strong foundation, ensuring all research-backed skills are taught in ways that stick. 

But the question remains, is this enough to support all struggling early learners?

 

Individualized Support- Intervene Early & Often

Each child is different, with different learning needs. 

There is a lot of research which affirms that struggling readers benefit most from personalized instruction which begins as soon as they enter the classroom. 

University of Virginia researcher Colby Hall and fellow authors synthesized 40 years of intervention research on K–5 students with or at risk for dyslexia, showing a clear benefit for those receiving systematic and targeted support.

In particular, findings include the significance of the timing of interventions and dosage.

At-risk students respond best to early, intensive intervention, especially in grades K–2.

More intervention dosages correlate with larger effects on reading ability. 

Thus it’s important to have a high frequency of reading interventions for those lagging behind, and that too, in the early years.

Monitoring progress of these interventions is also needed, so teachers can make data-informed decisions.

We see then, the importance of prioritizing individualized instruction, and providing support as needed, from a very early age. It’s the best way to supplement standard phonics instruction.

What are factors which facilitate this?

 

What Enables a Strong Start?

Technology- The Force Multiplier

Without the right resources, tracking interventions from the start can be challenging. 

Teachers must observe many details while ensuring that every foundational skill is addressed.

Technology-based programs show consistently positive effects for students with reading difficulties, working effectively across various settings and also among different levels of reading abilities.

An intuitive platform such as Sprig Reading can simplify the process for teachers of monitoring every research-backed skill.

 

Professional Learning- The Launchpad

Effective instruction for early learners requires a strong grasp of foundational reading skills and other evidence-aligned teaching practices.

That’s why evidence-based teacher training programs and university credits are increasingly being mandated across North America.

High-quality professional learning is essential from day one. Teachers are only truly ready to teach when they are well-prepared and trained in evidence-based practices.

 

Help Every Early Learner Make Reading Progress

While phonics is the starting point for many reading programs, truly helping new or struggling readers requires a multi-faceted and individualized approach that is grounded in research..

There is a lot more research that is needed in this field. But across the evidence spectrum mentioned thus far, a consistent truth emerges. It is that, early, evidence-based, multi-component, engaging and sustained interventions help early learners make reading progress.

The first month of school sets the tone for the entire year. Depending on your district calendar, you may be just a couple of weeks into the school year, or already approaching the one or two-month mark. 

You’ve likely spent time planning lessons, attending professional development days, and gathering new resources to support your students. But are you covering all the strategies shown by research to have the greatest impact on early literacy success?

This hectic time of year often leads teachers to make plans, only to get swept up in the daily demands of the classroom. As a result, some priorities may receive less attention, or be set aside altogether.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. By focusing on what’s most important early on, you can set the tone for a successful year for your students and for your classroom.  

This blog highlights five evidence-based early literacy strategies teachers can implement right away. These time-tested back-to-school reading practices consistently lead to stronger literacy outcomes.

Some may already be part of your practice, while others might serve as timely reminders. Together, they’ll help you create a strong foundation for reading achievement for your students. 

 

Jumpstarting Reading Success with These Five Back To School Literacy Strategies

These five evidence-based strategies give teachers practical ways to build strong reading foundations from the get-go, setting students on a path to success throughout the year.

 

1) Create a Print-rich Classroom Environment to Support Early Literacy Development

A print-rich environment promotes exposure to letters and words and supports vocabulary and print concepts, key elements in early literacy instruction. Classrooms with different forms of print perform better than those without them. 

By making text visible, meaningful, and interactive, teachers create daily opportunities for practice and reinforcement.

In the first month of school, this environment helps students quickly connect spoken and written language, laying the foundation for reading success and accelerating their confidence as emerging readers.

Common Print-Rich Practices	Less-Thought-of Print-Rich Practices
Word walls with sight words.	Interactive bulletin boards where students add words, questions, or connections.
Anchor charts for phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies.	Student-created class dictionaries or personal word journals.
Classroom library with decodable books.	Print-rich centers (For example, menus in pretend play areas, maps in exploration corner).

 

2) Establish Daily Reading Routines to Build Foundational Literacy Skills

Consistent and explicit routines provide repeated and systematic exposure to core foundational reading skills, supported by evidence-based reading. Structured, short practice sessions fit classroom schedules and consistently move students forward.

In the first month, daily reading routines help students quickly establish familiarity with letter-sound relationships, vocabulary, and print concepts. 

By embedding consistent practice from day one, teachers can build confidence and set the stage for measurable reading growth throughout the school year.

Common Daily Reading Routines	Less-Thought-of Daily Reading Routines
Morning read-alouds with teacher modeling.	Daily “sound hunts” around the classroom where students find words with target phonemes.
Guided reading in small groups.	“Flash fiction” or short sentence strips for 3–5 minute fluency practice.
Letter-sound practice with alphabet cards.	“Word of the day” journal where students create sentences or find examples in class text.

 

3) Use Baseline Literacy Assessments to Identify Student Reading Levels

Baseline data identifies who needs tier 1 differentiation vs. immediate tier 2 support. Quick, focused screenings let teachers prioritize instruction in the first month when intervention can have the highest return.

By starting early, teachers ensure that no instructional time is lost and that students get the right level of support before gaps widen. 

Sprig Learning has always prioritized providing the right support for every early learner, across all tiers of instruction.

Early baseline checks also establish a benchmark for progress monitoring, making it easier to celebrate growth and adjust strategies as the year unfolds.

Common Baseline Practices	Less-Thought-Of Baseline Practices
Screening with standardized tools (e.g., DIBELS, Acadience).	Informal teacher-student conferences to observe confidence, stamina, and motivation around reading tasks.
Oral reading fluency (for Grade 1–3).	Rapid automatized naming.
Phonological awareness tasks (For example, rhyme detection, syllable counting).	Error Analysis of Decoding Attempts.

 

4) Implement Progress Monitoring Tools to Support Differentiated Reading Instruction

Progress monitoring produces measurable gains when used to inform instruction. Meta-analyses show a positive effect on reading and related outcomes when regular progress checks guide teaching decisions. Continuous monitoring fills the gaps between less-frequent screeners and diagnostic assessments.

In the first month of school, progress monitoring helps teachers move beyond just static baseline snapshots and start tracking early skill growth right away. 

Quick, formative checks make it clear whether students are responding to instruction, allowing teachers to provide targeted support earlier, and then subsequently monitor those tier 1 interventions as well.

According to renowned early literacy scientist Linda Diamond, differentiating tier 1 instruction through flexible, skill-based grouping empowers teachers to target essential skills with precision. It ensures each student receives instruction aligned to their specific learning needs as identified by progress monitoring. 

Sprig Learning is a strong proponent for monitoring every child’s progress, a commitment that inspired the creation of Sprig Reading.

Common Progress Monitoring Practices	Less-Thought-Of Progress Monitoring Practices
Anecdotal notes during small group lessons.	Exit tickets for literacy (For example, students write/draw one sound, word, or idea they learned)
“Drop-in” progress checks during centers. (For example, listen to 3 students read for 2 minutes each)	Embedding monitoring into play-based tasks for K–1 (sorting sounds, labeling classroom items)
Frequent skill sampling (assess 2–3 different skills per week, rotating across students)	Gamified assessments (For example, word recognition “speed rounds”) where data is recorded for growth

 

5) Engage Families in At-Home Reading Practices to Strengthen Classroom Literacy Learning

Family-implemented literacy interventions and consistent home reading routines increase vocabulary, decoding practice, and engagement. Recent reviews confirm positive effects on early literacy outcomes  when families are given structured and simple activities to do at home.

Establishing these routines in the first month accelerates reading success by extending practice beyond school hours, multiplying exposure to foundational skills. 

Partnerships between school and home amplify classroom gains, foster earlier progress, and build a classroom culture where effort and growth are visible and celebrated.

Sprig Learning has long championed strong partnerships between home and school, previously  publishing the likes of 6 Amazing Parent Engagement Ideas in Early Learning. 

Common At-Home Reading Practices	Less Thought of At-Home Reading Practices
Parents/guardians labeling common household items with sticky notes for print exposure.	Sending home audio recordings of teachers modeling fluent reading for replay.
Visiting the library to borrow books.	Sending home word or letter scavenger hunts tied to classroom themes.
Leveraging daily routines (recipes, shopping lists, signs) as literacy moments.	Incorporating songs, rhymes, or chants at home to build phonological awareness.

 

Grounded in The Strategic Approach: Seeing the Bigger Picture

Even when teachers apply all the right back-to-school literacy practices, initial results may still fall short of expectations. This is not because of a lack of effort or planning. Rather, it’s valuable feedback that points to what needs to change.

For example, if early Grade 2 or Grade 3 screeners show that the majority of students are behind research-based expectations, this signals a larger systemic concern. The school may need to revisit its curriculum, provide more targeted professional development and coaching, or invest in stronger instructional materials, according to Margaret Goldberg, literacy coach, and  co-founder of Right to Read Project.

Visibility into early screening data across all grades ensures teachers are better prepared to meet student needs from day one. Measuring historical student data can provide even deeper insights, predicting swings in reading performance. 

Equally important, strategies adopted in August and September should not be unalterable. If students are not moving up performance bands throughout the year, strategies must be scrutinized and adjusted.

At the heart of it all, one truth stands firm: high-quality classroom instruction in the early grades is the most cost-effective path to achieving equitable literacy outcomes for all students.

That’s why strategy is critical! By putting these practices into action from day one, teachers can establish a strong foundation that not only supports immediate progress but also sets the stage for lasting reading success for every student.